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6 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | APRIL 2017 Two proposals to amend the CC&Rs are on ballots mailed to homeowners on March 24. The amendments would first, end cumulative voting in any community-wide ballot and second, replace the district delegate system of electing HOA board members with a simple popular vote. The amendment proposals were mailed with the ballots for candidates for this year's HOA Board election. (See story on page 7.) The district delegate system has been criticized in earlier discussions by the Rules and Regulations Committee for being unnecessary, cumbersome, expensive, and carrying the danger of one or two delegates deciding an election – without their districts' votes even being counted. The delegates act much like members of the Electoral College in U.S. presidential elections – with a major difference. A delegate from a district that does not meet quorum casts the district's entire voting power for whomever he or she pleases. That district's ballots are not counted – they are not even opened. In a close election, that makes it possible for a delegate to overturn the majority vote of the community and decide who sits on the Board. In a district that meets quorum, the delegate must cast the district's total voting power in the same ratio as votes cast. Presently Four Seasons has 15 districts, each with a delegate and an alternate. Their only assigned job is to elect Board members. The alternate acts only in the absence of the delegate. The current delegates and alternates were selected in an election that ended last month. The rules for district delegate elections are cumbersome and confusing and can be a three-step affair. A first ballot count is held with a simple majority qualifying each district's ballots to be counted. Then a second count is held with a 25 percent quorum. Finally, the Board appoints delegates for districts that fail to meet that requirement – which creates a conflict of interest: Board members select the delegates who vote to determine who the Board members will be. Several of the delegates for this year's Board election were appointed because few homeowners ran and because of low turnout. Each of these steps has attendant costs, and holding a delegates' election leading to the Board election has been criticized an expensive, unnecessary step. A single popular vote for the Board would eliminate that step. A second conflict of interest arises during the Board election itself. Delegates are supposed to encourage residents in their districts to vote. In the past they have done that, but in the future a delegate who supports a Board candidate might discourage voting to keep from reaching quorum -- then cast all the district's vote for his choice. Board President Len Tavernetti said the delegate system was devised to encourage voting in communities with low turnout. This is not the case in Four Seasons where "two thirds of the membership participated" in the last election. Under the popular vote system, he said, the Board would appoint "neighborhood representatives" to get out the vote, he said. But they would not be elected and could cast no vote but their own. The second CC&R amendment would eliminate cumulative voting. Presently, if there are three Board seats open, each household has three votes that can all be cast for one candidate, as the voter sees fit. "Such voting skews the popularity of a candidate or single issue ... making consensus difficult," said Tavernetti. HOA General Manager Jeri Mupo said the delegate system began when state law required common interest developments like four Seasons to hold town-hall type elections. Because it was impossible to get all members of large communities into one room, smaller sub districts were set up were a vote was taken then relayed to the larger community by delegates. Then the Legislature changed the law to allow voting by mail and the reason for delegates went away – but the requirement for them remained in the CC&Rs and bylaws of many communities, Four Seasons included. BE SURE TO VOTE! Residents are strongly urged to vote in the ongoing elections for a Board seat and amendments to the CC&Rs. A majority of ALL homeowners – not just of those voting -- is required to pass an amendment. That means a very popular measure could fail if voter turn out is low. Deciding who will sit on the HOA Board and the content of the CC&Rs are important for the future of Four Seasons. HOA Board President Len Tavernetti told homeowners, "This is your community. If you want to make meaningful improvements in it, it is necessary for you to participate." Voting in Election Important for Future of Four Seasons By Leighton McLaughlin

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