Indian Spring--2020 Election of ISMA Board
Arthur Hoffman
Dear Indian Spring resident,
YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT TO ME. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO RECEIVE EMAILS SUCH AS THIS ONE FROM ME, REPLY WITH THE WORD "REMOVE" IN THE EMAIL BODY. I WILL ELIMINATE YOUR ADDRESS FROM MY LISTS.
In 2013 I started a news group that evolved into a BLOG on Indian Spring. Here was my first posting to describe the news group:
“The lines of communication within the Indian Spring community are dis-functional in my opinion. I hope that this medium - a discussion group- where residents and members can express themselves about those things in the community that need airing will make the community better. We need to make changes.
The community looks shabby. It needs to be spruced up.
The age 55 limitations are heading us down the road to oblivion.
Block voting ensures that there will be little or no change to our community. It's got to go.
These are some of the issues that I worry about.”
Arthur Hoffman
Over the next three years a group of concerned residents were able to overthrow the entrenched clique of incumbents on the Board that had controlled ISMA for over 25 years. They were able to retain their control mainly through Block Voting. For those unaware Block Voting is where the president of a condo association votes for 100% of its members in elections of Board members. Home Owner Associations do not have this power. HOA members vote individually for the Board. Usually only about 25% of homeowners vote in elections for various reasons. The result is that Condo Associations virtually control the makeup of the Board, even though the ratio of condo units to homeowner units is 44% to 56%.
In 2016 a group of outsiders were elected to the Board and Indian Spring began to prosper. Initiatives were immediately launched to address the infrastructure deficiencies and Indian Spring’s appearance among other things. Probably the most important initiative was through the foresight of new president Arthur Kaplan. He proposed the establishment of a capital asset reserve to be funded out of new sales in Indian Spring where new buyers were assessed a modest amount at their closing. In three years, this reserve has accumulated over $300,000. This amount has been invested into necessary repairs to our infrastructure. Without that reserve, each Indian Spring unit owner would have been assessed about $200 this year with more to come in later years.
Unfortunately, the clique regained their control of the ISMA Board within two years mainly because of Block Voting. We are currently in the midst of another Board election season. There are five director seats up for filling. I am recommending votes for the following individuals:
Arthur Kaplan
Ivan Bell
Irwin Jacobs
Jeff Kelly
Burt Rubenstein
Homeowners should have received an individual ballot from ISMA that needs to be cast by the annual meeting on February 27. If you did not receive a ballot, contact the ISMA office.
Condo unit owners should have received a questionnaire from your condo president that asks your preference to whom your association should vote for. Contact your condo association president if you did not receive such a questionnaire.
In either case be sure to vote. Your vote is important.
If you have any questions about this email, the election of directors, or my news group BLOG, just ask by replying to this email.
Incidentally, you can go to my BLOG by clicking on the following link: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/indian-spring-in-boynton-beach
Reviewing the many postings will give you the flavor of what’s been going on here over the years since 2013 during ISMA elections.
Arthur H. Hoffman