President’s Update 7-24-19

Greetings Neighbors,

This year, we have had a record number of people attending Board Meetings. Regardless of the impetus, we view the increased attendance positively. Thank you to those who have attended. For those residents who are unable to make it but wish to view the meetings, Board Meetings are now live-streamed and archived onto The Landings Association’s Facebook Group. To follow the live stream, please join our Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TLAHOA).

It is important to realize the work that has occurred prior to issues being voted on at the Board Meeting. What happened prior is often months of due diligence and staff and committee work. If you are not aware of what has preceded, the Board process may seem cursory, when in fact it is not. To understand the operation of TLA, it is crucial to understand the roles of the various committees.

The Bylaws of The Landings Association provide that the “Board may appoint such committees as it deems appropriate to perform such tasks and to serve for such periods as the Board may designate by resolution.” There are four types of committees: Board, Regulatory, Standing, and Special.

Board Committees can consist solely of Board Members or be a mix of Board Members and residents. In general, Board Committees are tasked with advising, reviewing, and approving plans, decisions, and actions in managing the Association. Examples of Board Committees composed solely of Directors on The Landings Association’s Board are Executive, Governance, and Strategic Planning. Finance and Renovation are Board Committees which also include residents. After items are approved by these committees, the issue is then placed on the agenda for TLA Board approval.

A Standing Committee is a committee that is established by the Board to meet regularly and to specialize in a particular subject area. Current Standing Committees are Communications, Insurance and Risk Management, Marinas, Public Works, Reduce Reuse Recycle, and Security. These committees make recommendations and provide advice to the Association’s General Manager.

A committee appointed to perform a “special” or specific function is a Special Committee. Strategic Water, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and Nominating are Special Committees and are specifically tasked with, respectively, researching alternative water resources, ways in which to help neighbors, and nominations for TLA Board positions.

The Regulatory Committees exercise autonomous authority over some area of activity within The Landings in a regulatory or supervisory capacity. The Appeals Committee and The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) are regulatory. These committees act independently of TLA’s Board. The involvement of TLA’s Board is limited to the approval of committee members and policies or procedures for the committees.

The Charter for the Appeals Committee can be found at www.landings.org/resources > Committee Charters. The Appeals Committee is tasked with reviewing, holding hearings (when requested), and approving or modifying fines and penalties for cases regarding non-compliance of TLA Rules & Regulations, including Private Property Maintenance Standards, Architectural Guidelines, and Covenants. The Appeals Committee is composed of five Landings residents in good standing with backgrounds and experience in areas such as law, real estate, finance, property development and/or renovation, property management, security, and law enforcement.

The Architectural Review Committee reviews and approves plans regarding new construction as well as modifications to property and existing construction. The 2019 Revised Architectural Design and Development Guidelines which the ARC enforces can be found at www.landings.org/resources > Governing Documents. While there is a TLA Board liaison to the ARC Committee, that is a non-voting position.

It is my hope that this discussion illustrates the extent of work being done and also the tremendous community involvement. Since I have been on TLA’s Board, I have seen the passion, commitment, and service of our neighbors on these committees. It is taxing, and often thankless, work. I am very grateful to them. If you have a complaint, please make your voice heard and get involved, but also please respect the efforts and intent of your neighbors who have been involved in the decisions.

My best,