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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2016 11 By Len Tavernetti, Board President Whew! The election is finally over. Emotions can subside and civility can guide our emails. More importantly, the training wheels are off. Members of Four Seasons at Beaumont are now firmly in control of their community. To be fair, our builder did allow most Board rulings to be decided by the three elected members in the past. But, the realization that they were being closely monitored was ever present. Now, with five of our seven Board members representing the will of the voters, we truly assume the responsibility of this community. This election also demonstrates our willingness to accept and endorse new ideas that encompass all our phases. While the pioneering sections of Four Seasons are still heavily represented on the Board, the vote count shows voters in the newer sections have a very strong voice. Future campaigns will require candidates to reach all corners of Four Seasons. With five Board members we can anticipate that some votes will no longer be unanimous, a healthy sign of democracy. The election was also a first with extensive media campaigning. The fledgling AM Report was overwhelmed with election messages. With an election in May behind us and national campaigning dominating the television, viewership of our new email information site plummeted. Now we can return to real daily information. Our Communications and Rules and Regulations Committees will propose rules to govern future campaign activity. Door-to-door campaigning also needs to be addressed. Campaigning has to be in compliance with state and federal laws and fair to all concerned but made less annoying. The delegate system demanded in our CC&Rs will be with us for next spring's election. We intend to modify the cumulative balloting rule prior to the 2018 election when four Board seats will be up for grabs. In our last two elections all districts achieved a quorum so the issue of delegates casting their entire vote count as the delegate choses is not a pressing issue. Also, the size of the districts is likely to be reduced to 100 homes and the number increased from 9 to 14 or 15. Finally, thank you to all who voted. Your participation in the governance of our community will continue to make this a premier HOA and a great place for our golden years. Observations from the Board ELECTION LESSONS The Scoop on Four Seasons Committees By Claudeen Diaz, Board Vice-President The Committees of Four Seasons are the backbone of our community. When this community was developed in 2005, seven initial standing committees were formed, followed by additional committees as dictated by community need. These committees included Architectural Review, Bistro, Communications, Emergency Preparedness, Finance, Landscape, Rules and Regulations, Safety and Facilities, and Social. Ad Hoc Committees are set up as major projects are required. Each committee has seven members from the community. The committees should represent a cross section of the community as much as possible. A chair of each committee is selected, and appoints a secretary. When there is a vacancy on a committee, an interested member of the community attends three meetings, is then interviewed and selected to fill the open position. Once a year, each committee presents their members for Board of Directors approval. Normally, each committee meets once a month, unless otherwise determined that monthly is not sufficient, such as the Architectural Review Committee. The requirements of the committee are shown in the Common Rules of All Committees, pages one through three. Each committee has a specific responsibility and those responsibilities are outlined in their individual Committee Charters, listed in the Community Guidelines. The Architectural Review Committee was established to complete fair and consistent review of exterior improvements or modifications, and ensures that plans continue to reflect the beautification of our community. New homeowners are required to submit exterior plans for their backyards within four months of close of escrow and plans are to be completed within eight months of close of escrow. Any changes to existing homeowner's exterior property also require a Property Improvement Application. All committee meetings are open to all homeowners. An enormous amount of information is afforded each homeowner at these meetings. They usually last two hours. Become informed and attend at least one of these meetings. You'll be glad you did!

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