RHRC Quarterly Meeting Minutes - 7/23/2011
Rancho Heights Road and Management Committee
Quarterly Meeting Minutes
Date: July 23, 2011
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Temecula Community Center / Pujol Street / Old Town Temecula
Meeting facilitated by Property Owner: Ron Barbanell
Committee Members in Attendance; D. Eaton, J. Geller, M. Williams, J. Szepkouski
Property Owners in Attendance: J. Driscoll, S. Simmons, J. Rising, G. Tellier, P. Burke, P. Bulfinch, E. Dunnick, R., J. & V. Barbanell, B. Shaw, R. Rysewyk
Others: P. Rieker (arrived at 10:30 a.m., representing property owner: B. Gill)
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This meeting was one of a series of special “One Topic” meetings led by a guest facilitator; property owner Ron Barbanell. The topic of this meeting was: “The Election Process & The Annual Meeting Format."
Like the others in this series, this meeting was designed to be an idea-generating session. As such, it should be noted that the statements documented in these Minutes represent the opinion of the speaker.
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Call to Order: R. Barbanell
“Re: The ELECTION PROCESS / The ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA”
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Intro/ Rising:
Have heard rumblings of property owners stating they “didn’t want to vote unless it was a secret ballot, re: concerns for privacy. The process is as follows:
Proxies are mailed to eligible voters – Hand in proxy votes and get ballot for your vote – Mark ballots accordingly – votes counted by volunteers- Results reviewed and announced.
Eaton: What’s not secret about this process? Maybe you can explain…
Tellier: What are people afraid of who want a secret ballot? Is someone actually afraid of repercussions?
Szepkouski: I’ve never heard of this and I’m the keeper of ballots and I don’t even look at the results.
Dunnick: Most high schools have more private votes for prom queen than we have. All my voting records have been referred to.
Eaton: I agree, initiatives have to be counted and they in contrast, are not secret.
Rising: Allow me to introduce a concept:
A third neutral party, mailer would be sent including: instruction sheet, voter authentication: signature, APN and number of votes available.
Proxy authorization, ballot envelope with ballots inside, return envelope. Owners could also walk proxy into Annual Meeting.
3rd party opens ballot / proxy envelopes / separates ballots from proxies
3rd party places all ballots in separate ballot box without counting the ballots
3rd party distributes all mailed in proxies to assigned voters
Assigned proxy voters fill out ballot
3rd party reviews election results and announces results
Comprehensive election results in annual meeting minutes
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V. Barbanell: What if there were a two-part ballot with ID and then vote?
Eaton: Re: voter participation: last election, 379 votes were cast representing 190 apportioned votes, almost 2/3 of total apportioned votes were cast. This is in contrast to previous four annual elections where all candidates ran unopposed.
Shaw: You have to have APN on ballot or it can easily be corrupted. There wouldn’t be check and balances.
Bulfinch: Relevant to the secrecy process, an example of the type of ballot used in our proposal is the state of Massachusetts which uses the same type of ballot. This ballot is also widely used by other states and in other countries.
Simmons: I’m a CPA and I’d be happy to serve as third party. We should always default to most conservative approach. It’s a fundamental issue of how we vote in this country.
Dunnick: I think all votes in community would benefit by being secret ballot.
I belong to numerous associations and this is the only group who doesn’t use a third party. CPA firms do this and in some states; County recorder does.
Rising: Perhaps we don’t have to go to that level. We could go part way.
Szepkouski: Vida may have best idea of adapting our current ballot.
Geller: What kind of cost for professional 3rd party?
R. Barbanell: Have an election committee in the community which provides us with this service.
Rising: Explain to me where in the traditional process Vida’s perforation idea works in….
Szepkouski: Volunteers would separate the APN identification and the ballot and the volunteer could separate or voter can separate and put in separate boxes.
Dunnick: I need to vote for 20-30 owners, conduct business for them without the Committee keeping the proxy’s and keeping record of who I represented.
Burke: Is there a way this can be resolved?
Dunnick: Only if they start conducting business in a normal fashion.
Burke: If proxies were kept in iron-clad secret manner, could this be satisfactory for you Everett?
Rising: The tear-off ballot is perfect. Let’s forget what we proposed and do the tear-off, it’s better, it’s more simple!
Rising reviewed methodology of tear-off and Barbanell reviewed methodology of alternative. Group discussed and recommended to Committee: “chose the tear-off adaptation of current ballot."
Burke: Would either approach be more likely to be adulterated by someone?
Tellier: There should be a stamp placed on the ballot side to validate it at time of voting.
Bulfinch: Everyone’s offered opinion of what happens if there’s two proxies?
Robert’s Rules simply states that if 2 proxies should occur, both are discarded.
Geller: It is most vital for every candidate to accept this method as it won’t be possible to recount an election.
R. Barbanell: Explained methodology of newly proposed secret ballot design:
Proposed method: the final envelope is mailed in or brought to the meeting and counted. The advantage is that the proxies are sealed permanently which provide great simplicity and privately.
R. Barbanell: Who will be the neutral party for this collecting and counting?
At the last meeting, volunteers raised their hand and Doug picked two of the volunteers.
I nominate Sherry Simmons to be Chairman of the Election Committee.
Simmons: Let’s define what I’m doing.
Burke: We’re proposing you’ll be one of three volunteers who’ll count the votes and hand out the ballots at the meeting, and announce the outcome.
Eaton: Recommends Sherry gets together with Cori to discuss process.
Geller: All in this room are not created equal. It is the candidates who must be satisfied that this process results in a clean election. We simply do not want anyone to feel they lost the election unfairly. It is crucial for those who lose the election to be able to say, “I lost fair and square."
R. Barbanell: Jeff is a candidate; I’m a candidate and we both agree with this process and Sherry as the chairperson.
Rieker: If you want a vote that can’t be challenged with a lawsuit in the future, you need to use a state-level, certified, professional process!
R. Barbanell: Proposal since we only have ten minutes to go. Whatever we’ve done today should make people happier going forward than they’ve been in the past. I recommend that Sherry work with the Committee to plan this the best you can and make this election the best it can be and I’ll be happy with the election.
Tellier: Recommends each candidate identify one volunteer to participate as an observer in the process under Sherry’s guidance.
Eaton: Let Cori, Jeff Rising and Phil Burke work together on designing the ballot and have Sherry only responsible for vote tabulating and announcing.
Rysewyk: Why not just use raffle tickets at the meeting to allow volunteers to be selected for vote counting.
Sherry: I’d like to work with Pat Smith as my assistant to accurately mark off who had voted. This is the critical task.
R. Barbanell: Would like to propose one more meeting for 2 hours prior to the annual meeting just to talk about the meeting itself.
Ron then reviewed the following agenda items which we didn’t cover today which pertain to the Annual Meeting itself:
Suggested DURATION of the ANNUAL MEETING:
a) The length of time of the Annual Meeting will be determined by the membership.
b) The Annual Meeting will continue until all business to be conducted is complete:
I)Adjournment will be determined by a majority vote.
II)If all business is not finished, a motion may be made to adjourn to continue to meet at a certain place and time, which, when seconded and approved.
Suggested agenda and protocol for the ANNUAL MEETING:
a) Conduct the meeting in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order as the Guide
b) Facilitate broader membership participation by establishing Call-In-Conferencing.
c) Suggested Election Candidate Forum
I)Each candidate will have five minutes to speak
ii)Each candidate will have five minutes to answer questions
iii) Collective questions to all candidates
iv) All votes not mailed in will be handed in following the above discussions
d) FINANCIAL REPORT
:i)Read by Treasurer
ii)Discussions
e) ROAD REPORT:
I)Read by “most knowledgeable” Committee membership
ii)Discussion
f) ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES:
i)Secretary will read the minutes
ii)Discussion
g) ELECTION RESULTS: disclosed
h) New officers will take their position at the “ROAD AND MANAGEMENT COMMMITTE" table while old officers retire to membership.:
I) NEW BUSINESS:
j) ADJOURNMENT: as set forth in 6(b)
Adjournment:
Motion to adjourn made by R. Barbanell
2nd by M. Williams
Adjourned @ 11:30 a.m.
Date Minutes Meeting Held:
Saturday, July 23, 2011