So who is actually running for the Seven Lakes Land Association [SLLA] Board? The number of candidates vying for one of four available seats had climbed as high as six, but had dropped back to only three for a Candidates’ Night held in the North Clubhouse on Thursday, February 7.
Director Steve Ritter, heading up the Nominating Committee worked hard to recruit candidates throughout the Fall, but, by the final meeting in December, he had only one candidate who might be willing to run. So, he asked the current board if any were willing to run again.
Current SLLA President Bob Darr and Director Don Fentzlaff reluctantly agreed to put their names back in the hat, and the Board, during the January 30 Open Meeting, waived a Bylaw requirement that they amass the signatures of fifty landowners in support of their candidacy. Meanwhile, four other candidates stepped up, including incumbent Director Bob Racine.
But Darr and Fentzlaff withdrew within a week of the January Open Meeting, and newcomer Mark Steele withdrew his name on the day of the forum for family medical reasons.
That left three candidates to compete for four open seats in the elections that will be concluded at the Annual Meeting on March 24: newcomer Richard Faraci, current Director Bob Racine, and former SLLA Treasurer Steve Hudson.
The forum, moderated by Seven Lakes Times Publisher Greg Hankins, attracted a few dozen Association members. Candidates were given six minutes to respond to a set of questions on community priorities and their skills and background. Then written questions were taken from the audience. The order in which candidates answered each question was rotated by the moderator. However, each candidate’s answers have been consolidated here for easier reading.
Richard Faraci
What do you believe to be the highest priority issues that must be addressed by the Board of Directors? How does your background (schooling, skills acquired, work experience) relate to the expertise you described as relevant to the issues you cited.”
“I was raised in Great Neck, Long Island,” Faraci said. “I had come down here to vacation since 2000, and I fell in love with Seven Lakes. The area is just how I remember my home town back as a kid growing up. I felt this was a great community to retire to with my wife MaryAnn.”
The Faracis retired to Seven Lakes North in 2004. “I came down here to fish and ride a motorcycle,’ he said. “I crashed my motorcycle on US 1, and the speed boats make it too hard to fish.”
Among Faraci’s concerns are the number of cars roaming the community late at night. “The last four months, I haven’t been sleeping much at night because of leg pain. I am up and hear at least forty cars going over the dam at 3:00 am,” said Faraci. “That’s a lot of cars riding up and down the dam. By the speed they are going, they are not seniors. They can’t all be our residents, and something needs to be done about that.”
“I also see maintenance problems. I don’t know if it’s being caused by the present company we have here. In the past, things might have been done slower, but at least it was done,” said Faraci.
Faraci also expressed his dissatisfaction with the height of grass on the dam. “I live by the dam and pay a lot of money for a landscaper to come in and mow it and make it look nice,” he said. “The grass behind me is a foot high. My dog gets lost in it. The Army Corps of Engineers says mowing will erode the hillside. I say baloney. If they are eroding the hillside then they are doing it wrong.”
How does your background (schooling, skills acquired, work experiences) relate to the expertise you described as relevant to the issues you cited.
Upon completion of high school Faraci joined the Alert Volunteer Fired Department in October of 1969. He worked his way up to the rank of Chief of Department and served until 1992.
“After serving my term as Chief for the Alert Volunteer Fire Department, I was elected and served on the Board of Trustees for the next six years,” said Faraci. “I was elected and given the honor of Lifetime Membership in the department in 2005.”
“I was employed full time with the Department of Public Works for the Village of Great Neck and oversaw snow plowing and removal, managing recycling, establishing and maintaining drainage, and various types of road work,” said Faraci.
Faraci said he was then promoted to superintendent of public works in 1990 for the Village of Lake Success, overseeing 2 million dollars in budgets and supervising road work, parks and sewer departments, and all building maintenance.
“I will be active on the board,” he promised. “ I will find where you get your money and how you spend it. If I am needed here I will be here. I won’t go up north for extended periods.”
The Board has been trying to cut expenses and raise revenues in a variety of ways: they proposed eliminating lifeguards at the pool and raising the guest fee for swimmers, as well as at the stables. What is your opinion of these strategies?
“If not having lifeguards is going to increase our liability or cause us a safety issue,” Faraci said, “then close the pool down before that happens. If we can only afford two lifeguards, then we lessen the hours of the pool. We still need to provide lifeguards. Same with the stables. I don’t have an answer now, but will the next time I speak with you.”
The Board plans to ask landowners to approve a dues increase at the Annual Meeting. Do you support a dues increase?
“I don’t want to increase the dues,” Faraci said. “I am not in favor unless we absolute need it. I’ve got to go a long way down the road, before I go along with a dues increase. The amenities in this place are fantastic. I don’t want to see them go away; but, if we have to close something because we can’t afford it, then we close it.”
“These committees seem like they are taking freehand over what is being brought before the board,” said Faraci. “They shouldn’t be throwing all the ideas out there, unless they can back them up.”
An audience member asks how each you feel about access control and the quality of security at the gates. Is gate security adequate?
“I don’t have too many issues with gate,” Faraci said. “I have a cleaning service that comes each week, and they have to be called in every time. Fine, if we have to do it. If I could buy them a pass for $10 then I would. I don’t think we have a problem with workers coming in here — I think it’s the guests.”
There have been a number of complaints about the lack of striping in SLLA roads. The Association has a plan for repaving the streets in stages over a number of years, as reserves are available to pay for the work. Do you support that plan?
“I am not a one hundred percent familiar with the road plan, so I am not going to comment on it,” Faraci said. “But I think striping the roads right now [before paving them] would be a waste of money.”
What do you as prospective board members think about how the two Seven Lakes landowners associations should relate with one another.
“It is always good to be in good contact with our neighbors,” Faraci said. “The West Side had been the source of a lot of issues. [In terms of gate access,] If they want us to do something special over there, then they should have to do something special over here. Otherwise, it’s not fair that they get to use their passes on our gates to come here and play pinochle.”
Why can the SLLA not get seven members to step up and lead the community?
“We as a community should pay more attention to what’s going on,” Faraci said. I am fault for not being active as much as I should be. Hopefully, I will be here and can benefit community. As far as the Board goes, everybody has got to get along. As long as majority prevails the board has done its job.”
Steve Hudson
What do you believe to be the highest priority issues that must be addressed by the Board of Directors? How does your background (schooling, skills acquired, work experience) relate to the expertise you described as relevant to the issues you cited.”
My wife Mary and I live on the North Side,” Hudson said. “We were both born and raised in Greensboro. We have been residents for 26 years. We owned seafood restaurants in Greensboro for a number of years. I also worked in sales and marketing.”
Several years ago, I decided to change professions. I work at FirstHealth Moore Regional and am a nationally certified phlebotomist.
How does your background (schooling, skills acquired, work experiences) relate to the expertise you described as relevant to the issues you cited.
Hudson is a past board member and served for two years a treasurer of SLLA. “My past experience as a board member would serve Seven Lakes well,” he said
The Board has been trying to cut expenses and raise revenues in a variety of ways: they proposed eliminating lifeguards at the pool and raising the guest fee for swimmers, as well as at the stables. What is your opinion of these strategies?
“I don’t see any need to get rid of them [the horses] at this point,” said Hudson. “I grew up with horses and showed them. They were a pleasure. I also know horses can be very expensive. We need to start looking at how many of our landowners are riding. If you want your friends or grandkids to come and ride, then they need to pay. They are not a landowner.”
The Board plans to ask landowners to approve a dues increase at the Annual Meeting. Do you support a dues increase?
“I am not in favor of dues increase,” Hudson said. “Dues are like taxes: they go up, but don’t go down.”
An audience member asks how each you feel about access control and the quality of security at the gates. Is gate security adequate?
“I have noticed a number of service people coming in,” said Hudson. “If a landscaper is working in your yard, I think they need some type of identification to let the rest of us know who they are.”
There have been a number of complaints about the lack of striping in SLLA roads. The Association has a plan for repaving the streets in stages over a number of years, as reserves are available to pay for the work. Do you support that plan?
“I feel that you are wasting money by striping something that we are going to repave in the near future,” said Hudson. “It may be nice to see that tonight as we go home, but I think it is a waste of money.”
“In 2005 we put $50,000 aside for paving,” Hudson explained. “After that we had a $50 dues increase and the following year another,” said Hudson. “I think we need to hold on to the money for the striping. We have had to live with it for this many years; we can wait a few more.”
What do you as prospective board members think about how the two Seven Lakes landowners associations should relate with one another.
Hudson said he favored restrictions at the SLLA gates for Westsiders that replicated those imposed on SLLA members at the gates of Seven Lakes West. “The clique they have on board has put in lot of restrictions,” said Hudson. “I don’t see bending over backwards for someone that keeps restricting us.”
Why can the SLLA not get seven members to step up and lead the community?
“I have no earthy idea, why,” Hudson said. “When I was on board, I was in charge of the Nominating Committee and we got members very readily to run for board. I don’t know what the problem is. Maybe it is the present board members.”
Bob Racine
What do you believe to be the highest priority issues that must be addressed by the Board of Directors? How does your background (schooling, skills acquired, work experience) relate to the expertise you described as relevant to the issues you cited.”
“Why would I want to seek a second term?” Racine said in good humor: “The present board in their infinite wisdom gave all the board members a one hundred percent raise.”
Racine graduated from law school in 1960 and worked for many years in a small town practice. “We moved here five years ago, and we enjoy our grandchildren,” said Racine. “This is a beautiful place to raise children, and we are fortunate enough to be able live here.”
Reflecting on the current board’s accomplishments Racine said, “transparency” has been the Board’s most noted accomplishment when compared to past boards. “We have been the most transparent,” he said. “You know that President Bob Darr always opens the meeting to questions from the audience and invites them to speak.”
“We also established much needed committees,” he continued. “Prior boards had abolished all committees. We reestablished these committees. There is a move underfoot to limit the effectiveness of these committees, by taking away the jurisdiction of what they can do, but not abolishing them.”
“When I go to a committee, I go and listen to them,” said Racine. “We need residents to get involved in our committees.” Directing his question to SLLA residents, he asked “Why don’t you come? I would like to see you get involved. I would like to see the younger people involved.”
How does your background (schooling, skills acquired, work experiences) relate to the expertise you described as relevant to the issues you cited.
“I was a town moderator for 10 years. I learned that you get more with compromise and cooperation than with belligerence and confrontation,” Racine said.
“A moderator brings people together with different opinions to form a uniform, cohesive plan of action. You can accomplish more through negotiation — taking time to go to a meeting and discuss, listen and then come to a decision.”
The Board plans to ask landowners to approve a dues increase at the Annual Meeting. Do you support a dues increase?
“Let’s not price ourselves out of living here,” said Racine. “We have to balance the right hand with the left. Those are going to be tough decisions. Personally, many of us cannot afford a dues increase. We are on a fixed income, yet everything continues to go up in price.”
Speaking of possible budget savings, Racine said, “Anything over $5,000 goes to a competitive bid. There are many things that are being done in-house. These could go to competitive bid. Submit items and have the board itself determine if it goes to bid.”
“There are too many questions in the finance report,” he continued. “One is the amount of monies that are being budgeted. I think we can do a little more cutting in certain areas to save money. Everything is going up — gas, groceries — we need to hold off.”
The Board has been trying to cut expenses and raise revenues in a variety of ways: they proposed eliminating lifeguards at the pool and raising the guest fee for swimmers, as well as at the stables. What is your opinion of these strategies?
“The thing that bothered me the most was the Recreation Committee was asked to come up with a fee schedule,” Racine said. “In two weeks, we were supposed to come up with an answer. We needed time to investigate this thoroughly before we come up with a decision.”
“This last set of proposed fees was given directly to the board at our work session. We were told we needed to vote to take it to the Open Meeting,” said Racine. “The recreation committee was completely bypassed.”
An audience member asks how each you feel about access control and the quality of security at the gates. Is gate security adequate?
“I am the most qualified to answer this one,” laughed Racine. “I was the access control officer for six years in one community.”
“We had twenty five security officers on the force. It’s impossible to be one hundred percent safe. If I go to Kiwanis, I climb over the fence to get to the meeting.”
“A gated community in Florida had eight-foot concrete walls, and they still had problems. I think our gate security is doing a great job. If there are problems, then we address them as they arise,” Racine said.
There have been a number of complaints about the lack of striping in SLLA roads. The Association has a plan for repaving the streets in stages over a number of years, as reserves are available to pay for the work. Do you support that plan?
“I support the plan that we have,” Racine said. “If we are going to be paving in the next couple of years why stripe the old pavement then have to pay to restripe it?”
When an audience member spoke up to say that driving at night was difficult without stripes, Racine replied, “Come to our Work Session. Your input is always needed. We would like to have some input on it. I have enough problems driving during the day. I would like some input from the community. I am open minded.”
What do you as prospective board members think about how the two Seven Lakes landowners associations should relate with one another.
“I think the press made a big issue out of this when there wasn’t one there,” Racine said. “I don’t know where the people are that are creating the problems. I can’t see hurting everyone because of the actions of few,” said Racine.
“Let’s meet them [the Westside Board] for lunch. Sometimes a lot more things can be done with a positive approach.”
Why can the SLLA not get seven members to step up and lead the community?
“It’s no different than every other blasted organization,” Racine replied. “When it comes to the women’s club putting up decorations, where is everybody? When we have a swim meet, then where are the volunteers? If you don’t like how things are being run then get involved. Go to your neighbors. It’s universal: people want ‘give me’ but don’t want ‘give back’.”
