A PLACE TO BE
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A SHOW OF HANDS
Tom Bergsma and M.O. Berry appear to be the only owners spearheading this dredging issue.
Mr. Bergsma has tried various ways to sell his dredging agenda. Things like, we use to see porpoise in the canal and caught a lot more fish. This dredging will improve property values. Dredging will remove all that nasty construction material from the canal water. Dredge now, Mr. Freeland will only give us a certain window of opportunity to save millions. This $25,000 hydrographic survey will pay for itself. Our Park has a legal and moral responsibility to dredge.
Nearly every owner showed an opposing hand and they left our March Annual Meeting thinking the dredging issue was on hold until the next Annual Meeting. Mr. Bergsma’s persistence and Mr. Berry’s threat of possible legal action somehow convinced our Board to change that perspective. They approved the spending of $15,000 to obtain survey results to back up any dredging decision before the 2011 Annual Meeting.
After the Village Voice alerted its mailer list on this decision, the Board was overwhelmed with emails that prompted a Board decision to send an owner opinion mailer on dredging before going any further with this dredging survey.
A provocative email from Mr. Bergsma described the Board’s action as being “totally chickenshit”. He conveyed the “lawsuit card” throughout this rejoinder with the use of a M.O. Berry correspondence to the Board last March. In Canal “A”, Mr. Berry claims to have problems navigating his custom made twenty-four foot sailboat with nearly a six foot fixed keel and did mention that unfulfilled dredging matters may require legal attention.
Tom Bergsma and M.O. Berry appear to be the only owners spearheading this dredging issue.
Mr. Bergsma has tried various ways to sell his dredging agenda. Things like, we use to see porpoise in the canal and caught a lot more fish. This dredging will improve property values. Dredging will remove all that nasty construction material from the canal water. Dredge now, Mr. Freeland will only give us a certain window of opportunity to save millions. This $25,000 hydrographic survey will pay for itself. Our Park has a legal and moral responsibility to dredge.
Nearly every owner showed an opposing hand and they left our March Annual Meeting thinking the dredging issue was on hold until the next Annual Meeting. Mr. Bergsma’s persistence and Mr. Berry’s threat of possible legal action somehow convinced our Board to change that perspective. They approved the spending of $15,000 to obtain survey results to back up any dredging decision before the 2011 Annual Meeting.
After the Village Voice alerted its mailer list on this decision, the Board was overwhelmed with emails that prompted a Board decision to send an owner opinion mailer on dredging before going any further with this dredging survey.
A provocative email from Mr. Bergsma described the Board’s action as being “totally chickenshit”. He conveyed the “lawsuit card” throughout this rejoinder with the use of a M.O. Berry correspondence to the Board last March. In Canal “A”, Mr. Berry claims to have problems navigating his custom made twenty-four foot sailboat with nearly a six foot fixed keel and did mention that unfulfilled dredging matters may require legal attention.
This daughting email reminded our Board that Mr. Berry filed a “no contact” court order against Pat Burke for harassment which caused Mr. Bergsma to query; do you think Mr. Berry is looking to sue LIV for harassment or for punitive damages due to negligence? How do you think a law suit for LIV's failure to maintain our canals will play in the press and do you think that might hurt our image as well as property values?
He expressed that sending out a questionnaire to the membership regarding the issue of should we dredge or not is totally chickenshit, especially when asking the question "would the assessment be a financial hardship on you?" Why don't you ask if paying dues to LIV is a hardship too? Give me a break. It is time for the Board to stand up and do the job we were elected to do instead of trying to pass our responsibilities on the membership. It is time to pass on doing the survey and quit stalling before we get sued.
We don’t know if Mr. Berry will sue LIV if our Board decides not to dredge canal "A". He might even sue for the damages to his boat. Who knows?
We don’t know if our Village will be handed a class action lawsuit if our Board decides to do major dredging. It’s been mentioned.
Here are the things we do know.
We do know the last Annual Meeting had an overwhelming show of owner's hands who opposed dredging.
We do know the Board thought that spending $15,000 for a dredging survey would help to back their decision.
We do know the Board President said on April 28th during our Regular Board Meeting that Mr. Berry’s claim of entitlement isn’t correct.
We do know Mr. Bergsma is correct when saying Directors on the Board are elected to do a job, but fails to understand that this job is one of being a representative who speaks, acts, or votes on behalf of the very membership that elects you. With that said, didn't our Membership make one of their wishes very clear last March?
We do know if the Board uses this mailer to truly validate that owners have changed their minds, it should require an affirmative 75% of a total that’s equal to the quorum total we had at the last Annual Meeting.
We do know silt problems expressed by both spearheads were on property not owned by our Association.
We do know Mr. Bergsma has expressed that it is not right to pay and get nothing out of a dredging assessment, then turn around and pay extra to dredge canal H. Could that be one reason why he has mentioned that owners shouldn’t have a problem with Canal H and the Intercoastal being part of the dredging assessments.
We do know a show of hands from owners is currently being considered meaningless by our Board.
We definitely know Mr. Bergsma owes his friends on the Board an apology.
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8 comments:
Ah, the lawsuit card. In our Village it seems to strike more fear than the "chupacabra". Owners, urge your Board members to stand their ground and represent us - the majority. Don't allow Mr. Burgsma to use his position on the Board to forward his own interests. The Board only has the power that we allow them to have. Hold them accountable and remember their actions at election time.
Nice ...put some movment and sound to this picture Joey It would put a lot more people in real time! VIDEO!!! PLEASE!!
what meeting did you take that picture at?
I agree with the above. If the board makes a decision based on Berry & Bergsma's threat of a lawsuit due to "failure to maintain our waterways". I guess the rest of us could sue ourselves for "failure to maintain our streets."
Isn't Bergsma up for re-election in March? Me thinks he had an agenda when he was elected 2 years ago. If he chooses to run again.....he will NOT get my vote. Nor will any BOD member re-running that is influenced by threats.
I guess we will have the results of the questionnaire/mailer soon?
Who wrote the above article? When things are published like this they should have an author. I don't believe it was you Joey as it only says posted by Joey. An article like that needs ownership.
Those of us who were present at the last annual meeting remember what was decided at that time. The article is a pretty accurate description of what happened then and what has transpired since. Regardless of who wrote it, the article serves to bring to light events that all owners should be aware of. There are those that prefer for Board members' actions to remain "Board business". However the Board's only real business is to represent the interests of owners as a whole and not just their own personal interests.
so joey I ask again! what meeting did you take this picture at?
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