Fees, Motions, Meetings and Voting

I believe lots of good things are happening in Sun City although, I must admit, I’m not happy with the number of Members that showed up for the Candidate Forums or the last BoardMeeting!

Let’s forget about that for now and concentrate on the good.

Increase in Property Transfer Fee

This Autumn Get Educated, Communicate Your Thoughts and Participate in Elections and Meetings

 

Democracy is messy

 

I think it's safe to say, the Sun City Advocates are excited as we come to the end of the first year where self-governance was restored to our community. We won't bore you with the details of how and why we fell so far from our tenets and values; all that matters is we are on our way back. In a bit of honest reflection; I

Egg Nog and Fruit Cake...

Yuk; is there a more awful-sounding combination? Perhaps Lutefisk and chocolate milk. Sorry, this week between Christmas and New Year's, is almost always a lost exercise in sanity; and my cravings for a touch of normalcy are inevitably thirsting to be quenched. Most love the holidays, I long for the flip of the calendar.

 

To be clear, even more so this year than most. We suffered through the pandemic in 2020, were hit with the tumult of the McAdam's firing in 2021 and the craziness of 2022 with the failed and flawed bylaw rewrite. The great news is, most of you reading this celebrated an RCSC election outcome that was stunning. Fast, Collins and Totten crushed the other candidates and created a sense of hope moving forward.

A Member's Mandate:

Almost anyone reading knows the history of the Sun City Advocates. We began in the fall of 2021 following the firing of Karen McAdam as an RCSC board member. There were 10 of us who started out and it should come as no surprise we had challenging arguments over the direction and what we should be doing as a group. Strongly opinionated people often find it difficult to agree on even the smallest of issues.

Vote for Jean Totten, Steve Collins, and John Fast in the RCSC Election!

The Sun City Advocates were formed just over a year ago. We agreed upon three objectives to accomplish one clearly stated and defined goal: We would use Communication, Education, and Participation to try and elect candidates in the 2022 RCSC election who believed members' voices should matter. Despite all of the criticism that we were just a bunch of disgruntled and angry members, nothing could be further from the truth. We did it because we love Sun City, what it once was and what we hope it will become again.

Will the RCSC be closing down on January 1st?

"In my opinion, I would have to close down!"

We kid you not, at the November 17 board meeting this statement was made by the RCSC General Manager. There was a spirited debate regarding the $29 lot assessment increase buried in the acceptance of the RCSC budget for 2023. They tried to pass it at the October meeting and it was voted down, because there was some concern, or was it confusion? In either case, it failed. They brought it back up at the November meeting and once again on the agenda, all it said was Unfinished Business: 1. Motion to Reconsider. No explanation, no nothing.

Jean Totten: A Candidate for Change

The Advocates have extended an invitation to each of the candidates to submit a blog to our readers.  Here is the first of the responders.

RCSC Board of Director Candidate, Jean Totten

I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed and upset I was in February of this year when I asked to be placed on a committee, and our present leadership pointed to my Sun City Advocate badge and said, “That is a conflict of interest.”  I totally disagreed, and I think that you do, too.

 

But because of their uncommon interpretation of conflict of interest, I didn’t want to jeopardize my candidacy so I withdrew from Sun City Advocates. I didn’t want anything to stand in my way. Since then, I’ve also been subjected to two petty and frivolous Incident Reports, perhaps in an effort to discourage me.  One was thrown out, and I have yet to receive a response about the second. I won’t be discouraged!  

Svendsen: Progress slow with rec centers staff in Sun City

OPINIONS

From: Sun City Daily INdependent

Posted Tuesday, September 27, 2022 11:00 am

Softball Club Being Thrown a Slow Pitch

For as long as I have been attending Board meetings (the past 2-3 years), the softball guys have been asking for “secure storage” of their equipment.

The present facility is frightfully not secure; the building has been a source of bats, balls, helmets, mitts — you name it — for a quick stop and shop for local burglars.

FInal Jeopardy: The Answer is...The Most Important Activity for Advocates this Fall of 2022

What is...To VOTE for 'Members Matter'  Board Director Candidates

Regarding all of our comments about the bylaw recommendations, the sale of OUR amenities, the Annual Membership Meeting on the 1st of November, and our December Elections, you may be asking yourself - What can I do? Continue to Educate yourself on the candidates and issues, Communicate by joining in discussions, asking questions, and offering your ideas.  Participate in meetings, forums, and exchanges. This is how we see the next few months:   September 29th formal Board meeting: Following this meeting, the Ad Hoc Committee presents the bylaws. Members cannot speak.    October 10th Member Board Exchange: Members can speak about revised Bylaws.

Throwing My Hat in the Ring

Leave of Absence

Yesterday, August 16th, the Advisory Panel for the Sun City Advocate group met to discuss our path forward for the remainder of the year.


For those who are not aware of the Sun City Advocates, this group was founded

Rooney: Good outweighs bad in RCSC board service in Sun City

OPINIONS

Rooney: Good outweighs bad in RCSC board service in Sun City


Why in the world would I put myself through that?

This is what I hear while searching for 2023 Recreation Centers of Sun City board candidates. I totally understand after serving last year. It was rough. The downsides include a considerable time commitment, enduring abuse from a few misinformed members and following the corporate bylaws to a T. Fortunately, there is a new committee taking on the monumental task of bylaws review.

Kickoff event for RCSC 2022 Board of Elections

All candidates that attended either the 9 am or 1 pm session of the Candidate Informational Meeting on Monday, June 6th, were invited to contribute a few words to this blog.  In Alphabetical Order:

Darla Akin

John Fast

Nancy Greathouse

Cheri Marchio

Bill Pearson

Kristi Svendsen

Jean Totten

Mike Wendel

Not everyone contributed to the blog by "press time."  If we receive their comments at a later date, they will be published.

OPINIONS: Lehrer: Change coming, misinformation muddles process in Sun City

In case you aren't a paid subscriber to The Sun City Independent (you should be) or you don't get a free, "thrown" copy in your driveway, this is the article that Bill P. is referring to in his blog posted in this edition - Misinformation? Disinformation? - Hmm, calling it so doesn't mean it's so.

 Posted Tuesday, May 24, 2022 2:00 pm 

By Dale Lehrer

After several months and just a bit of a rocky start, I think we can all agree that there have been a number of improvements as we reach the half-year point.

Dialogue between Recreation Centers of Sun City members and the board of directors continues to improve. The member/board exchange is still a work in process, but I am confident that your input matters and every item and suggestion will be acted upon as appropriate. 

Welcome to the Sun City Advocates Blog

We truly are delighted you have found this site. There were no Sun City Advocates a year ago. 

Our Beginnings

We were born from adversity when an RCSC board member, Karen McAdam, whom we elected was fired by her co-board members. They weren’t happy with her for standing up for the membership. They told her, the board position mandated “loyalty” to the corporation. 

As a small, self-appointed committee,, we worked to get her re-elected in December of 2021. Karen got more votes than any other candidate in years. Four new board members were elected, three of them were endorsed by the Panel group.