Excited; Frustrated or Disgusted?

How about all of the above...and i will take you through each, so stay with me here...it's important to our future. By the way, the source of the header was/is an outcome from yesterday's long RCSC board meeting.

I crawled out of bed at 5 am this morning, unusual these days as i have been sleeping later. I'm down about 40 pounds the last 4 months as every article i have read said sleep was critical to all aspects of our overall health as we age. I used to be one of those guys who said proudly: "I'll sleep when i die." No longer.

Let's get to straight to it eh? Excited (Part 1).
The past 9 months, since the new RCSC board started making waves, i've made a committed effort to remain optimistic. I love much of what they have done. In fact some of my cohorts in the Sun City Advocates have chided me being too much a cheerleader.

The good news is, there was a segment at the meeting yesterday to cheer about, but let's save that till the end and so we finish on a high note (kind of). Stick around and we'll wrap this up with Excited (Part 2).

Disgusted...and i mean really disgusted.
I cannot think of a more appropriate detail from the meeting that comes close to explaining how far removed this community has become from reality. For those who don't know, there was a great turnout at the meeting; predominantly golfers who were angry. We'll get to that in a minute, but for this segment let's hone in on one of the motions that was tabled.

There was a motion to quit selling full play non-resident golf passes. Several board members have been trying to pass this for the past 16 months, but for some reason the director of golf is working hard to protect non-residents. Does that make even a modicum of sense? But wait, it gets worse.

Yesterday, in the crowd was a non-resident who demanded he have his voice heard. Only members who want to address a motion can speak and have to sign up before the meeting so they can. Privilege card holders cannot even speak. This non-resident jerk stormed the mic to air his meaningless opinions regarding him being able to enjoy better prices for a round of golf than 85% of Sun City's population would pay.

To President Fimmel's credit she cut him off, but his trek to the mic set the stage for the remainder of the meeting. I'm going to loop back when we cover the frustrated topic and you will immediately see why this whole non-resident full play pass should be gone...COMPLETELY GONE.

Frustrated...The History?

We knew yesterday's meeting was going to be challenging. The one thing i have come to understand while writing and talking about Sun City is this one constant: What member's don't know, they really don't know. But then, why should they? They've been pushed away since 2010. The greatest generation of owners clearly took ownership of the community more seriously than the boomer generation.

The whole point of this article is to get you to understand you must begin to pay attention and yesterday's meeting was the classic reason why. Golf was the topic of the day with four motions, three were tabled, one voted down (by accident).

Golf is a topic, that if you don't play, is literally meaningless in your life. You may enjoy driving by those arid green spaces but who plays and how they pay is insignificant. My apologies for the length, but anyone reading needs to know the basics and the history.

We have 8 golf courses in Sun City owned by the RCSC and three former country clubs, now golf courses open for public play with private owners. That's a lot of courses in a very small space (Sun City is 3 miles wide and 7 miles long). Until the pandemic, all of them were facing declining levels of play. When golf became the only game in town open, play spiked. The RCSC went from 300,000 rounds a year to 350,000.

The oddity on golf is this: The Del E Webb Corporation gave the residents the recreation centers very quickly. They were built with added funding on each lot and supported by residents (members dues). The golf courses and 10 pin bowling centers were different; from the outset, they were both amenities paid for by those using them. That's why there is no charge for most amenities, but there is for golf and 10 pin bowling.

In fact, it took the RCSC 17 years to work out a deal with DEVCO to "buy" them. The cost was $10 and a cup of coffee, but along with it was a contract guaranteeing they remain golf courses (deed restrictions) and they would be revenue neutral, That simply meant the RCSC would collect enough revenue to cover their costs. The same deal was applicable for the bowling centers. The reason was simple, they both had the potential to become money pits.

Frustrated...And Why Each of You Reading This Should Care.
Golfers showed up in force because one of the motions was to increase the cost for the 3 options to play. The full play pass was going from $1550 to $1875. The Surcharge was going from $800 to $1000. This surcharge option allows a resident to golf and pay $5 in the summer and $7 in the winter; the new rate would have been $6 and $8. These rates have not been increased since 2017. The daily walk-on rate (90% of Sun City's population) would pay is currently $35 proposed to go to $39 per round.

Now you know the back story, here's where this gets butt-ugly. As i have been promoting the meeting on a Facebook page i help out as an administrator, one of the RCSC board members jumped on and told me what i was posting was all wrong. I had written numerous articles about the cost of golf and how the RCSC had not been living up the contract where golf was self-sustaining.

I'm one of those odd ducks who pays too close attention and i knew golf was being subsidized. The RCSC doesn't post their overall PIF Expenditures (they should), but my best guess is they have spent between 40 and 50 million dollars on golf courses and golf out buildings since PIF was passed in 1999. I also knew they were paying money from yearly capital expenses, but it was my understanding those were calculated back in to help determine the cost for a round of golf.

My primary objective has been for the RCSC to deal with this in way that is more transparent. Sadly, we never see the the expense side of the ledger, just the revenue side (which is meaningless). With the departure of two GM's, the data is staring to flow and more importantly there will be huge increases across the board for golf. We already know this and the golfing community has been made aware.

They don't care though and one director believes you, me and every other non-golfer should be picking up the tab. How do i know? He told us so, when he boldly announced that capital expenditures should not be included in setting golf rates; they should only include operational expenses. In 20 years, i've never heard that argument.

On top of that, this same director has stated our courses are in bad shape and we need a huge infusion of capital expenditures (some have claimed 10 million dollars) to get them right. I'm going to shout this, i need you to understand how it works: CAPITAL EXPENSE ONLY COMES FROM ONE PLACE...YOUR YEARLY LOT ASSESSMENT.

Having attended several of the budget and finance committee meetings this summer, we already are hearing significant increases will be coming for all of us in 2024. We heard at these meetings there are some 20 million dollars in deferred maintenance. They are putting in place a 5 year plan to get it all done, but in the end, it will all come back on us. We need to get caught up; do the things that should have been done that weren't.

What we don't need is for the vast majority of us living here being stuck with a massive spending bill for golf course upgrades. I don't want to dive into golf rates, but Sun City is so far below the norm it boggles the mind. We have residents who buy the full play pass that pay as little as $5 a round. It's not the majority, but the average full play pass buyer pays $12.19. Yesterdays meeting told us, they want it to stay that way.

Disgusted...A Final Indignity.
Earlier i mentioned, for 90% of us, if we stepped on a Sun City golf course to play 18 holes (Nov-April), it would cost us currently $35 (proposed going to $39). The cost for the loud mouth non-resident who stormed the mic buys a full play pass for $3,250 (which includes a golf car). They average 100 rounds (some more, some less) so for simplification do the math: 100 rounds at $3,250 equals $32.50 a round (and that golf car at $16 a round is worth $1600). You can see where this is going; by the way, they can buy it with no golf car for a cost of $2,750 and at 100 rounds it comes out to $27.50 a round.

Let's do a quick side by side comparison: A Sun City resident who has paid PIF and helps subsidize our golf courses currently pays: $35 a round while the non Sun City resident who has paid nothing towards the infrastructure pays $32.50 (minus the value of the cart) or $27.50 (no cart). Then if you want to really throw insult to injury, this same board member is telling all of us, we should further subsidize both resident golfers cheap rates and even more shamelessly suggesting we should be paying for better playing conditions for those who don't live here.

It is insanity personified and honestly, i thought we were past the doom loop where golf consumed more than its fair share of revenue and we were on the road back. Sadly, after yesterdays meeting, we aren't even close to being there.

Part Two in next post:

 

Excited (Part 2).
Thanks to anyone who stayed and slogged through this with me. I know it gets boring but without knowing anything about where we are, we have no idea about where we are going. Here's the good news: The board passed the quorum drop to 500 members for the annual membership meeting yesterday. That will be the number needed for the end of November evening meeting. It was a long time coming.

Oddly enough there was discussion by a board member questioning another motion to clarify what members could actually override the board on (bylaw changes) and it was nonsensical on its face. Our documents dictate what we can and cannot do, why anyone is afraid to clarify them is strange at best.

If you have stayed with me, understand this: The director now claiming golf is making money (they're not, they were close last year for the first time), but if his position that capital expenses doesn't count and is just free money to pour into golf we all will be taking a massive hit on our yearly lot assessment to subsidize both member and non-resident golfers who feel we should be paying for their cheap golf rates.

That was exactly why it took 17 years for the RCSC to buy the golf courses and negotiate a contract that stated golf would be self-sustaining. They understood the potential for this to become a back breaker for the majority of us who don't golf. Now, it's right in front of us.

 

Is it true that the dollars spent on golf buildings, snack-shops and golf maintenance buildings are charged to Building and Infrastructure and not to added to the cost of maintaining golf?

 

That's how Jan used to separate them, with golf maintenance buildings not included under golf. It was ludicrous but it how she made the argument we weren't spending that much of golf. I'd love to he list of PIF projects since inception. I've suggested it several times, no one has responded.

After 20 years of doing this Emily i have wore out my welcome...and i am really old.

 

Thanks for your support Emily but the Board is not the place for me. In fact, the more meetings I attend and the more I learn, the less I want to run.

I was happier when I didn't know how the sausage was made, and at this stage of my life I don't need to take on such an effort.

I give the Director's a lot of credit because they put in many more hours than they bargined for this Summer with the SAC and F&B committee meetings when they should have rather enjoyed 2 months off of rest and relaxation!

Some people crave to hold such powers but that's not in my DNA! There are more qualified Members out there than me!

Thanks anyway but...perhaps you should run?

 

Tom and Letitia for RCSC Board of Directors!

 

Nobody and I mean nobody should be allowed to run for the board until they have lived here for 10 years. You newbies with 5 or less years have no clue what goes on in Sun City. You're the trouble makers that are trying to slam increases like SCW has. Bye bye board, the clock is running. Mountainview needs to be permanently scrapped. This is what most of your agenda wants for YOUR enjoyment. You forget that many have lived here for 20 years or more. You newbies need to get your asses out and be a volunteer and work your way up the latter. Most of you trouble makers spend all day whining, scheming, and trying to make it hard for the folks that built this community. You're not going to get welcome party. Get off your computers and do something worthwhile for the community

 

There used to be a two year requirement to be on the board, then it was reduced to one year and then done away with completely. I've long argued for any type of education/information structure where new home owners could get a crash course on how and why Sun City works. Sadly, even while serving on the board, there was never the interest or an apparent need to do by board members. When i ran (2011) one of the planks in my platform was anyone running for the RCSC board or who was a member of management was required to read Jubilee, Sun City's 25th anniversary book. Yet another fart in church moment.

 

Btw Bill, I hope you losing 40lbs was voluntary and not sickness.

 

I agree with a minimum residency requirement. How many times I've heard people say at candidate meetings and forums that they would like to learn more about Sun City? They should know those things before they run for the board! After years of running a club, being on committees, attending meetings, maybe then they should run!

When they brought back the member exchanges most of the board were unaware of what they were or how they were run, all but one lived here during those years but never bothered to attend. Steve and Darla were the only board members at that time that I remembered being at those exchanges.

 

Yup SW, eating better, sleeping more and absolutely no stress in my life (said with a smile...or was it a smirk?).

 

O&T you bring up some very valid points. I've lived in SC 10 years (half the year as a snowbird) and it took a fair amount of time to put all the pieces together. My background is in non-profit management and government, and yet trying to apply my experience to the "self-governance model" took time. There's a lot to learn - the nuances of funding sources and how they are applied, by-laws, articles, AZ laws, Club rules, Board Policies, SC history, etc. Becoming a Club officer and also a member of the Advocates were both very beneficial. And I'm still learning more every day from friends and colleagues.

But it leads me to this. My background and professional experience, as well as my time as a volunteer board member, taught me that all volunteer boards need training. There are a lot of rules in the NP world about conflict of interest, confidentiality, fiduciary responsibility, Roberts Rules, and a whole lot more. But the big question looms: Why do members want to be on the Board? Is it a single interest or cause, or because they have a concern for doing what's best for the entire organization/membership?

In my experience board members had annual self evalutions - a review of their own performance. They had board training sessions with outside facilitators to help set goals, improve communication, understand their legal responsibilities, and how to handle key personnel management issues. They also had periodic informal holiday gatherings as a way to break down barriers, get to know their fellow board members and improve communication. Someone unaffiliated with an organization can help organizations see things that they can't see themselves.

Finally, a well organized board orientation is essential. That includes a board handbook of all the pertinent legal, financial and historical documents. In today's electronic world, that can be done with a fully loaded flash drive for their electronic devices. It's important that members have access to minutes, financial reports, standing committe reports and any other information that will be required for them to do their job. Orientation may take an entire day with presentations by key staff members. But it's essential that every new board gets started with all the right tools. And board orientation is mandatory every year.

There's a lot to consider for board membership. While it's a volunteer position, it does require more work than what most anticipate. That will probably hold true for the next year or two for RCSC. I hope there are some members considering becoming more involved. The most important ways right now: attend board meetings, member exchange meetings, the upcoming Town Halls, the very important Annual Member Meeting, and two committee meetings - Long Range Planning and Budget & Finance. Dates can be found on the RCSC website or the SunViews, or sign up to receive the email blasts. These meetings will set the stage for 2024 and beyond.

The last 18 months have shown we need to find a way to improve communication and a method to educate our members how their community operates - in a way that is easy to understand. I think we're getting there and the next several weeks will tell the story.

 

Really, really well said Linda. Let's be clear here; Sun City is not broke, not even close. What they have been remiss in has dealing openly with issues and problems which most often resulted in kicking the can down the road. Pretending a problem will go away if you ignore it solves nothing and usually results in even higher costs when you finally do address them.

This board has been more open and transparent than at any time since 2006. They are a work in progress and there are some strong personalities and smart people trying to adopt to a shifting organizational structure. It is and will continue to be an evolution. Hopefully it will be built around growth through better education and communication. We'll see.

 

“This board has been more open and transparent than at any time since 2006. They are a work in progress and there are some strong personalities and smart people trying to adopt to a shifting organizational structure. It is and will continue to be an evolution. Hopefully it will be built around growth through better education and communication. We'll see.” BPearson

Disappointed at the strong 5 - 4 voting blocks that have developed.

The four who opposed Director Totten’s motion to reactivate the Outreach & Communications Committee showed how resistant to anything they don’t understand or value is unnecessary. Or was this intended to communicate a different message?

This foursome screamed, “Look at us, we’ll show you who’s in charge.”

They sure did show us how out of touch they are about current communication needs and their attempted power play on the O & C motion just for the sake of doing so!

I’ll factor voting records and behavior of the current appointed directors in this foursome if they are candidates in the upcoming board elections!!

 

Agreed eyesopen. I didn't sign up to speak on the motion; preferring to do it at the second reading. I thought this was a drop dead winner...what board member would vote against improving their communication?

It gets even better though: Take a look at the results of the ASU working groups recommendations from the tables assigned "communication." They are posted online, obviously the 5 that voted against it didn't bother reading those suggestions...or worse yet, didn't care. How embarrassing is that?

 

My bad. it wasn't called marketing it was this: (and so you know, once an idea was submitted they wouldn't write it down again. We broke into tables and rotated 3 or 4 times).

Encouraging Input
 Develop a Communication Committee of members!
 Members need to know what clubs exist, where they meet, their contact info., etc.
 Develop a powerful Ne Member packet that includes information about important
meetings and SCHOA. Make this packet both tangible and digital.
 A new word for “volunteer” can be “community steward.”
 Develop a Welcome Wagon…in person and digital (GenX wants digital!)
 Conduct a DEEP DIVE for SC talent…there is so much out there!
 Rebrand how SC is marketed…consider community stewardship.
 Develop a solid communication strategy using multiple platforms!
 Allow members to opt in or out of home delivery of SunViews.
 When you pick up your Rec Card education and packets should be given out to new
members.
 Consider developing a Volunteer Incentive program with rewards for those who give a
lot to the community.
 One Saturday a month could be a New Member Orientation at the RCSC Office or other
facility.
 Bring back the BUS Tours of Sun City…staffed my members. ALSO…develop an Audio
Tour that can be accessed on one’s phone using GPS tracking so users can obtain the
same information as they drive around at their own pace. (Definitely a GenX favorite for
getting info!)
 Develop an Ombudsman” program for handling complaint resolution. Can have different
people handle different subjects.
 Make meetings easier to attend for working members. Use Zoom, YouTube, RCSC
presence at Farmer’s Market.
 Improve follow up so members feel giving input is worthwhile.
 INCREASE civility in interactions!
 Consider offering interpersonal and intercultural communication sessions to decrease
conflict when people speak at various meetings.
 Offer mentoring in a variety of areas…technology, activities, etc.
 Change input from complaint based to solution based.
 Make comment cards n Centers more open-ended. Offer on-line input and tracking rather
than just cards.
 Improve clarity about who to contact regarding problems and requests.
 Consider Department-based comment cards, not universal comment cards.
 Highlight a Volunteer of the Month.

Lots of great ideas here and the idea we have communication committee would be to help the board achieve some of them. Would it surprise anyone if i told them irrespective of the table they were sitting at, many of these same suggestions or threads similar were stated?

 

Bill, great you had the list! Thanks for sharing.
“No need for a communications committee,” neighed the four nay saying horsemen.

 

I do believe that a "neigh" would have had to come from the front end of a horse where this no vote appears to have actually come out the back end.

Rumor, let me repeat, rumor has it that some board members are suggesting they will trade yes votes if they get what they want in the form of yes votes. I would hope that's not true because every vote should be on the basis of need. If anyone feels that way, i suggest the run for the AZ house or senate...trading votes there is a way of life. It should never be in Sun City.

 

The more we are hacked, the more i question...who is doing the hacking?

 

Now i would say frustrated is the order of the day.