Q: What have you done or will you do to prepare yourself to be an effective member of the Board?
A: I’ve had extensive discussions with Directors Darius Brooks, Jeff Connors, Jennifer Jennings and Jeff Schwerdtfeger as well as previous Board members regarding Board Governance. Through my committee work, I’ve gotten to know most of the senior management. I was an active participant in last year’s budget process. I’ve done my own financial analysis posted on www.charlescwu.com.
I also have dozens of other nonprofit and for profit Board experiences. I’m on the Finance Committee, led the ASC Task Force, participated/observed in the GovDocs, GPC and STR Task Force. I have a good working relationship with our GM.
I also have dozens of other nonprofit and for profit Board experiences. I’m on the Finance Committee, led the ASC Task Force, participated/observed in the GovDocs, GPC and STR Task Force. I have a good working relationship with our GM.
Q: If elected to the Board, what will be your three top areas of focus?
A: COMMUNICATION: Develop a better Understand of homeowners using modern business practices, recognize their needs/wants to provide clarity on appropriate vision & objectives; seek ongoing inputs. True transparency.
FINANCIAL: Budget, development of a 3-5 year business plan (not currently done), GM objectives, incentives & transparency, clarity for capital projects, staff growth, operational best practices.
DAY TO DAY: fire safety, amenity overcrowding and utilization by members and guests, equitable set of rules for all homeowners. I will harness vacation homeowner and academic institution expertise for short term specific tasks. Volunteering builds community engagement.
FINANCIAL: Budget, development of a 3-5 year business plan (not currently done), GM objectives, incentives & transparency, clarity for capital projects, staff growth, operational best practices.
DAY TO DAY: fire safety, amenity overcrowding and utilization by members and guests, equitable set of rules for all homeowners. I will harness vacation homeowner and academic institution expertise for short term specific tasks. Volunteering builds community engagement.
Q: In your opinion, what are Tahoe Donner’s long term ‘big picture’ issues? Specifically what do you stand for, support and believe in regarding these issues?
A: I stand for a homeowner focused HOA. Tahoe Donner has shifted from serving the homeowner to growing the enterprise. We are losing our diverse family community ethos of both full time and vacation homeowners. A few years ago, there were 2-3 “Hotel Houses” - now there are at least 8-10. Our C&Rs state only “excess capacity” of our amenities should be sold to the public.
We need to solve some homeowner issues with appropriate Truckee/private organization partnerships. Examples: ability to get new homeowner insurance, low-cost internet/cable access, living wages/affordable housing for staff.
We need to solve some homeowner issues with appropriate Truckee/private organization partnerships. Examples: ability to get new homeowner insurance, low-cost internet/cable access, living wages/affordable housing for staff.
Q: I am concerned in the event of a wildfire that we have limited notification and very limited choices on egress. WHAT CAN YOU OR THE BOARD DO TO HELP?
A: First - please subscribe to Nixle http://www.nixle.com/ alerting system. Our HOA has to be proactive in planning for the potential of a wildfire and subsequent evacuation. We currently have a working team (staff and members) working on this along with the Town of Truckee’s Emergency Operations Manager and Truckee Fire Protection District. While the HOA has published on their web page planning preparedness, guidelines for keeping property more fire safe and an evacuation map there is still more to do. I believe we need to work with the Town to create a 3rd egress and a more effective notification system in the event of an emergency.
Q: Our home insurance is becoming problematic. Either rates are raising at an alarming rate or policies are not being renewed. WHAT CAN YOU OR THE BOARD DO TO HELP?
A: I recently spoke to Lahontans’ community manager and there is much we can learn from how they addressed this issue. Based on recognition by the Town’s Emergency Operations Manager on how our HOA is at the forefront of emergency planning and fire prevention. I would like to see if there is some way to establish a formal recognition of our preparedness. This would be recognized by the insurance companies to have us considered less of a fire danger, considered for lower rates and more likely to have our existing policies renewed. We need to work with State agencies to guarantee coverages. In addition, I’d like to use our buying power to directly negotiate with the insurance companies.
Q: What is your position on ‘the tent'?
A: Initially we should limit the usage of the tent to members and community events only. I realize we have some contractual obligations currently in place with non-members which must be fulfilled. Usage of the tent is impacting members located near the tent with noise issues, possibly exceeding our existing rules. There is no need to bear the costs of external event marketing, shuttle services and other unallocated overhead. I even have a decision paper written to that effect that has never been submitted. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R9kUNm7YGO3bXVaXai9HMc5rqaZ-U5_4gJlFkvs5LFs/edit?usp=sharing
Q: What is your position on our amenities?
A: My primary focus is to make sure the amenities are well maintained and available to the membership and their guests. I realize how our HOA has grown in the last 10+ years which has led to overcrowding especially on peak holidays. Ensure the amenities are available for members. There are number of different approaches to be evaluated: facility expansion, facility partnering, access policies modification, access fee modification. We need to set up a homeowner driven task force to help the Board evaluate different options for each amenity.
Last fall, the GPC (where Michael and Nan volunteer), there was $3M allocated for winter sports expansion and $0 to summer amenities. I asked our GM for his suggestions regarding overcrowding and he mentioned a $400K kiddie splash pool at Trout Creek. When I asked about the addition of an adult pool or a kiddie splash zone for $400K, I was told that it's wasn’t even in the GPC pipeline.
Trout Creek and the Marina are the highest used facilities in Tahoe Donner. I intend to make the summer amenity expansion a priority over GPC’s current priority of winter sports
Last fall, the GPC (where Michael and Nan volunteer), there was $3M allocated for winter sports expansion and $0 to summer amenities. I asked our GM for his suggestions regarding overcrowding and he mentioned a $400K kiddie splash pool at Trout Creek. When I asked about the addition of an adult pool or a kiddie splash zone for $400K, I was told that it's wasn’t even in the GPC pipeline.
Trout Creek and the Marina are the highest used facilities in Tahoe Donner. I intend to make the summer amenity expansion a priority over GPC’s current priority of winter sports
Q: What is your position on amenity usage, access policies and fees?
A: I think we should establish a highly focused subcommittee with representation from each of the perspectives below to put forth to the board and then to the membership for feedback and review with a timeframe cap on the results, not 2 years of pontificating with no results. Our CC&Rs state the priorities – owners, their families, renters and the public, in that order. This has been in the CC&Rs from the inception of TD.
All work in this decision process must have representatives from the following groups:
All work in this decision process must have representatives from the following groups:
- Full time owners
- Vacation (part time) owners
- Owner whose families that visit with and without the owner present
- Owners with long term rentals
- Owners with short term rentals
Q: How do you plan to address the overcrowding and people ‘reserving seats’ at the marina and pool
at trout creek?
at trout creek?
A: We need to find innovative low-cost solutions to overcrowding. As an example, we have to stop people from "reserving seats" as soon as the Marina and Trout Creek opens. As an example, resorts I’ve stayed at have beach towel service and staff picks up the towel if it remains unoccupied for more than an hour. If there are personal items - they put a note on the chair explaining the rules and the impact that it has on other guests. Maybe we should evaluate something like that? Better service AND better access. That is my idea; if you have other ideas please send them my way.
Q: What is your position on what has been labeled a STRs issue etc.?
A: I really think this has been mislabeled. It is not an STR issue; it is a quality of life issue and is really two separate items that need to be addressed and resolved independently.
First is the amenity overcrowding and this has two components
1) Sizing of the amenities for the current buildout
2) Utilization rules, regulations and pricing for guests
Second is code enforcement.
I propose that as best possible we assure all rules should apply to ALL homeowners. Staff must provide a professional code enforcement officer, approximately $25K for the summer, to work weekend evenings and holidays. Equipped with a camera and commercial noise meter they can, upon receipt of a complaint, go to the allegedly offending residence. First step then is determining if there truly is a violation. If it is determined there is a code violation then explain the rules to the occupant(s). I believe that in most situations this would resolve the issue.
In the event it is not immediately corrected the next immediate step would be to contact the name on file for the residence to hopefully correct the situation while making the owner aware of the incident.
The officer would then refer the incident and results to the TD Covenants team. This begins providing appropriate historical data (i.e. does it happen every weekend or was this a single incident). It also immediately addresses the problems real time vs. a convoluted legislative mechanism which can take days or much longer to remedy.
This is a common sense approach IMHO; attack the problem with a simple, smart spending, solution first.
First is the amenity overcrowding and this has two components
1) Sizing of the amenities for the current buildout
2) Utilization rules, regulations and pricing for guests
Second is code enforcement.
I propose that as best possible we assure all rules should apply to ALL homeowners. Staff must provide a professional code enforcement officer, approximately $25K for the summer, to work weekend evenings and holidays. Equipped with a camera and commercial noise meter they can, upon receipt of a complaint, go to the allegedly offending residence. First step then is determining if there truly is a violation. If it is determined there is a code violation then explain the rules to the occupant(s). I believe that in most situations this would resolve the issue.
In the event it is not immediately corrected the next immediate step would be to contact the name on file for the residence to hopefully correct the situation while making the owner aware of the incident.
The officer would then refer the incident and results to the TD Covenants team. This begins providing appropriate historical data (i.e. does it happen every weekend or was this a single incident). It also immediately addresses the problems real time vs. a convoluted legislative mechanism which can take days or much longer to remedy.
This is a common sense approach IMHO; attack the problem with a simple, smart spending, solution first.
Q: What is your position on parking in the HOA and overcrowding?
A: We already have a good set of parking rules where on owner lots you may only park on the paved portion, not on grass, gravel or dirt. We have seen then folks elect to park on the street which is outside our purview. I propose we take a proactive approach with the town. Remember we represent roughly 50% of the towns tax basis and represent about 50% of the domiciles. I plan to work with the town to extend the winter street parking ban to year-round in Tahoe Donner from midnight to 6am.
The rational is simple, it is safety and access for EMS and Fire services. On most of the non-major streets if there is one truck parked if may make it hard for EMS/Fire to make it through. If there are vehicles parked on both sides on the pavement it becomes impossible for EMS/FIRE to fit. This is basically a true fire and general safety issue that we must have the town join in and accept responsibility for our safety.
The rational is simple, it is safety and access for EMS and Fire services. On most of the non-major streets if there is one truck parked if may make it hard for EMS/Fire to make it through. If there are vehicles parked on both sides on the pavement it becomes impossible for EMS/FIRE to fit. This is basically a true fire and general safety issue that we must have the town join in and accept responsibility for our safety.
Q: What is your position regarding Homeowner Input to Board Meeting Issues?
A: I think there needs to be a way for homeowners (and committee members) to submit public written dissenting/supporting opinions for any proposal coming up before the Board. I also believe emails sent to the entire Board should become public record unless the writer wishes it to be confidential.
Q: How did you get my email address?
A: To build the email list I reached out to folks I knew and some of my campaign supporters in Tahoe Donner. I and my suppoprters asked them to provide me emails of owners they either knew or thought might be interested in the TD election. In some cases I reached out in person talking to them on the street, others via email and yet others via phone. As I received feedback I simply added them to a spreadsheet. We used a commercial email program so at the bottom of each email there is an unsubscribe button which will remove their name/email from our list.
