Steve Hornak - Who I am voting for on the CDD and why

[George Schiro]

This was posted by Steve Hornak on Nextdoor a few days ago (see
https://nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=165298238 , Nextdoor is private,
requires an account) and copied here with his permission:

Early voting is here, and I feel the election of seats
#1 and #5 will have an effect on the CDD for years to
come. I want not only to endorse two of the four
candidates, but to explain my reasons as to why I
endorse them. You may disagree with my reasoning, and
that is ok as I am used to people disagreeing with me
when it comes to politics. Also, I want to apologize as
this is long - much longer than I intended - but I
encourage you to read it.


S E A T # 1

In the race between Dan Leet & Melissa Grove I support
Dan Leet for a number of reasons.

Before Dan and I really knew each other, I would see
him at the CDD meetings. He attends the meetings very
frequently, much more than I do. But more than just
attending, he pays attention to what is happening at
the meetings, what was on the agenda, and what will be
voted on. While I also pay attention to what happens,
he has taken his dedication to the CDD to a higher
level. There are few residents who know and care as
much as Dan when it comes to Harmony. This makes him
more qualified than any other person to be elected to
the CDD.

Dan Leet has also been very active in Harmony's Nature
and Animal Committee. This means that he not only
monitors the trails for needed maintenance, but also
performs that maintenance with other volunteers on the
committee. This trail clean-up includes trimming trees,
running the brush hog to cut tall grass, and redefining
trails that are overgrown. Dan has a passion for nature
and dedicates a lot of his own time to keeping our
Harmony trails well-maintained. He does this without
pay because he wants to protect this great asset to our
community. This shows his passion for both Harmony and
the nature that surrounds it, making him a better
candidate.

More than a year ago, I was unable to attend a CDD
meeting. I knew Dan would attend, so I asked him to
record the meeting, which he did for me. However,
instead of recording the one portion I was interested
in, Dan livestreamed the entire meeting on Facebook, so
not only I but anyone who was not able to attend could
follow the proceedings of the meeting. He quickly
realized the value of this level of transparency, and
has proceeded to record nearly every meeting since. The
official meeting minutes are no longer verbatim records
of the meetings, they are now just motions and votes,
so these videos are an even more important resource. He
does this without compensation. He has been talking to
the CDD about purchasing a camera, and adding the
recording links to the CDD website. This way the
meetings will not only be available to residents, but
will also be archived so that in years to come the
meetings can be referenced. This level of openness and
transparency shows why Dan would be a good addition to
the CDD.

If I knew nothing else about Dan Leet, all these things
would be enough for him to get my vote. But I have come
to know him personally. I met the Leets during the
construction of both of our homes, which are on the
same street. I then got to know both Dan and his wife
better through Girl Scouts where they both volunteered.
After the meetings they would often bring my daughter
home. Since then I have gotten to know the family very
well. But it is not my friendship with them that makes
him a good candidate for the CDD. It is his kindness. I
try to be a good person, I try to help others, but Dan
Leet gives to others with no consideration for how hard
the task will be. He has climbed on my roof to plug up
my air vents before and after a hurricane. He has
helped when we had car trouble. He offers help when we
need it and asks for nothing in return.

So not only is he dedicated to his community, to
nature, and to open and honest CDD meetings, but he is
also a genuinely good person. He would make an
excellent addition to the CDD. I hope that you agree,
and I hope that you will cast your vote for Dan Leet.

I would also like to say that I have had the
opportunity to talk to and hear from Melissa Grove
through this process, and I commend her openness and
eagerness to learn. She is clearly a very intelligent
and kind person. I would encourage her to continue her
involvement in Harmony and run again in 2 years.


S E A T # 5

In the race between Teresa Kramer & Gustav Erikson I
support Teresa Kramer.

I did not know Teresa Kramer nor Gustav Erikson before
they began their campaign for CDD. I have spoken and/or
chatted with both candidates and there are two main
reasons I am supporting Teresa Kramer.

Let me start by saying that Gustav is a very nice
person. He is a schoolteacher, and he dedicates himself
to the education of kids and his family, and that is an
excellent and noble quality for any person. But there
are two main reasons I can not support him.

First, there were two meet the candidate meetings held
in Harmony on October 14th. One in person at the Lakes
at 5:00 PM and one virtually via Zoom at 7:00 PM.
Before the dates were selected, a representative for
the Lakes and I contacted all 4 candidates to select a
date, time, and format. They all agreed to take part in
both events. After the event was announced to
residents, Gustav withdrew from the event due to "a
family commitment". I understand and commend his
dedication to his family, but backing out of this event
robbed the residents of their opportunity to hear his
message. I want a candidate who will attend every
meeting, and while I know that things can come up this
sets a bad precedent.

Second, and more importantly, I served for 7 years as
the VP on an HOA with two members who were family. I
can say firsthand that this can and does cause issues.
It may also leave the CDD vulnerable to Sunshine law
violations, and can open the CDD to the suggestion of
collusion between members. Having heard a rumor that
Gustav was related to Steve Berube, our CDD chair, I
asked Gustav and learned that he was once married into
Steve Berube's family. While now divorced, the bonds of
family run deep, and that connection does not go away.
My uncle, even though he has been divorced from my Aunt
for almost 30 years, is and always will be family. I
conder [sic] Gustav's relationship to Steve Berube to be
problematic, especially since they would be working so
closely together should Gustav be elected to the CDD.

Given how many posts Steve Berube has written throwing
his support behind Gustav, and the political addition
he made to the Harmony Life Magazine's "CDD Meeting
Highlights" column, it seems to me that Steve is
pushing hard for Gustav to be elected. I have not seen
where Steve has disclosed that he is/was related to
Gustav. Please do not misunderstand me, I do not have
any issue with Steve Berube or Gustav Erikson. My main
concern is with, given my experience, two family
members serving on a board of five. Gustav's
relationship to the Chair of the CDD gives me pause. It
is for this reason I cannot vote for Gustav at this
time.

Teresa Kramer is a smart person who is very
knowledgeable about Harmony. She can, and will if
asked, talk to a resident about the challenges that the
CDD has and will face. A community thrives on differing
opinions, and her experience and background would bring
fresh and interesting ideas to the CDD. I think she
would make an excellent addition to the CDD as an
outspoken supporter of the residents. I think she will
bring her own opinions and remain an impartial
supervisor. Teresa Kramer's passion for the community
makes me confident that the CDD will be in good hands.

I support Dan Leet and Teresa Kramer for CDD seats 1
and 5 respectively. If you disagree, I welcome any
friendly discussion or debate on the topic. I know that
both Melissa Grove and Gustav Erikson are great people
and would each make a great addition to the CDD. I
would love for Melissa to run in 2 years after being
more active in the community. I would like to see
Gustav run when Steve Berube is no longer a member of
the CDD. At that time, he would be an excellent
candidate.


Whoever you decide is best to represent your interests
on the CDD, please vote. Your vote matters.