Before a standing room-only crowd of residents, Walden Lake Community Association board members narrowed the field to two candidates during an emergency board meeting Sept. 30, but that is as close as they could get to appointing a replacement for the WLCA’s vacant seat.
The remaining board members split 4-4 between two candidates: former state Rep. Rich Glorioso and Forest Club resident Sharon Philbin, who has been active in the fight against redevelopment of Walden Lake Golf & Country Club and the two golf courses.
WLCA President Jan Griffin, Treasurer Karen Olson and directors Steve Swantek and Heather Updike voted for Glorioso; while Secretary/Parliamentarian Jim Chancey and directors Bruce Rodwell, Bob Hunter and Ray Page voted for Philbin.
Instead of opening the meeting for continued discussion, board members opted to table the item until their next regular meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 21.
The selected candidate will fill the seat for the remainder of former Vice President Marcus Alexich’s term, which will expire in 2016. Alexich vacated the seat abruptly following the WLCA’s Sept. 16 meeting.
The seat likely is an important one on the board, which has been divided on several issues in the past four months. At the WLCA’s last meeting, board members narrowly passed a motion to hire L.E. Wilson & Associates Inc. as its new property management company. That vote came just weeks after the board, in a 5-4 decision, denied longtime property management company Rampart Properties a chance to interview and submit a proposal to remain at Walden Lake. Even the decision to table the candidate selection split the board 4-4. In that case, the tie meant tabling the issue.
Glorioso, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, served from 1998 to 2004, as a Plant City commissioner. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2004 and re-elected for three more terms. Last year, he ran for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections seat.
In Walden Lake, Glorioso served on the board that helped transition the community in 1997, from developer- to resident-controlled. At that time, the community faced a myriad of budgeting and logistics issues, and he said the key to progress was setting emotions aside.
“What I learned from flying airplanes is that emotions will kill you,” he said. “You need to keep the your emotions under control and the facts out in front of you.
“What I saw at (the last meeting) was not good,” Glorioso said. “The board is fractured, and I saw positives and negatives on both sides. I think I bring the experience that can help make this a better community.”
Philbin, a retired Realtor, moved in 2008, to Walden Lake from Escondido, Calif. She is a 12-year Rotarian (currently a member of the Plant City Daybreak chapter) and secretary of the Spring Meadow homeowners association. She owns a home in Spring Meadow and resides in Forest Club. She also has registered to take the required course to certify new board members.
“As a board member, each issue that comes up must be explored, understood and then voted on as to the best of the board member’s ability,” Philbin said. “I feel confident that I can be objective in future decision-making. I always appreciate folks who volunteer for what is sometimes a difficult job.”
Olson said Glorioso makes an excellent candidate for the board.
“I don’t personally know Sharon; I personally know Rich,” Olson said. “I think Rich is a good fit for our board.”
Conversely, she said, Philbin’s affiliation with the grassroots anti-development campaign presents a conflict of interest.
“My concern with Sharon is her affiliation with the golf course group,” Olson said. “We have to have closed meetings with our attorney regarding the golf course issue, so that Mr. (Steve) Mercer (managing partner, Visions Golf) does not know what our plans are, and I find having Sharon on the board would be a conflict of interest.”
Olson’s comments elicited groans from the residents in attendance, including Shelly Orrico, who spearheaded the anti-development campaign.
“She’s the most honest person in this room, and you’re going to say because she’s a friend of mine, and she’s fighting for residents in this community … that she can’t be on this board?” Orrico said. “That is ridiculous.”
Hunter also questioned Olson’s reasoning.
“There are others on this board (who) live on the golf course, so whether somebody is concerned about what is going to happen or people, perhaps, may benefit by the plans that are approved … I’m sorry, I think it’s a specious argument for Sharon or Rich, to tell you the truth,” he said.
Glorioso, who owns two homes in Walden Lake, said he has had a family membership to the country club for 19 years. He attended a members-only meeting with Steve Mercer Sept. 19; however, he wasn’t happy with the presented proposal, which called for creating a new 18-hole course from pieces of both The Lakes and The Hills courses.
“That is not a champion golf course,” he said. “We need at least 18 good holes, or everyone’s home values will go down 30% to 40%. This is a huge issue.”
All posts on the WLCA board are unpaid.
QUESTIONS UNANSWERED
WLCA board members and attorney Web Melton opened the Sept. 30 meeting with a discussion regarding public comment at board meetings. About 40 Walden Lake residents attended the meeting, many of them wishing to speak.
Melton said residents were allowed three minutes each to speak at the beginning of the meeting — but not during each item on the agenda. He advised board members not to answer questions.
That format is different than what was allowed at the Sept. 16 meeting, during which residents in attendance were permitted to speak on each agenda item and also received answers from board members.
About 15 residents chose to speak, with many voicing displeasure with the WLCA board members about their lack of transparency and lack of action regarding the country club and golf courses.
Gary Sears, president of the Silver Lake homeowners association, said he and other HOA presidents within Walden Lake were never given notice regarding the change from Rampart Properties to L.E. Wilson & Associates.
“The one thing that has upset me through this entire process (that directives) come back from you guys to the (HOA) presidents, and we’re the ones who have to literally enforce whatever your directives are,” he said. “Yet, no notice was given to us on any type of change as far as moving from Rampart to another (management company) that has never dealt with a unit as large as this.
“To me, it is ridiculous,” he said. “And again, no notice was given to the president on this in any way, shape or form. That really doesn’t sit well with a lot of the presidents.”
Resident Lisa Pittman told board members she received an automated survey phone call, during which she was asked about her opinion about what she would like to see built in Walden Lake.
“I was not sure if this was something (the WLCA) had put out,” she said. “I was not sure if this was something the golf course put out.”
Griffin said the WLCA was not involved with the survey.
Several subsequent speakers requested the WLCA speak about a meeting that took place with Mercer and the board’s perceived lack of transparency.
“I would like to know, as a member of this community … what those discussions were and what took place,” said resident Mike Wolfe. “We’re entitled to know that. You’re our board of directors. You represent us, and we want to know what was said and what was discussed.”
However, under the Melton’s advice, Griffin did not respond with answers.
“You have an opportunity to speak, but the board does not engage in a full-on discussion regarding every issue,” Melton said. “If we answer (one) question, we have to answer everyone’s question.”
That did not sit will with attending residents, who continued to press for answers.
“What do you have to do to get somebody to answer a question?” asked resident John Guerriero. “What does that take? How do I start a special meeting, where you people answer the question of the people of Walden Lake?
“Do you answer any questions, or do you just suck this information in and dump it in the bottom, where no one can get at it?” he asked. “I’m going to get in touch with my lawyer, who is going to get in touch with all of you, and we’re going to get some answers. You represent nothing. You’re a bunch of politicians. You guys are worse than Washington.”
Melton suggested the WLCA board consider having an off-duty police officer present at the next meeting.
L.E. WILSON CONTRACT
WLCA board members discussed a proposal from new property management company L.E. Wilson & Associates. Each board member made suggestions for changes, and now the board’s attorney, Bush Ross, will examine the proposal and draft a contract.
The WLCA board will take another look at the contract before sending it to L.E. Wilson for signing.
As proposed, the two-year contract would begin Jan. 1, 2014. However, Treasurer Karen Olson suggested the term begin Dec. 1, so billing and receiving would be done by the same company. However, that also would mean both L.E. Wilson and outgoing firm Rampart Properties would be paid for services for the month of December.
Any money saved from entering a contract with L.E. Wilson would be used in other ways within the community, WLCA President Jan Griffin said. High on that list is to eradicate an invasive air potato vine in Walden Lake’s wetland area.
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.