jamesrforhoa.com

(same information as above, just text only …. )

• We are all proud and pleased with how our development looks … 
  … parkways, common areas, flowerbeds, golf course, and facilities.
• We have top-notch facilities that are well maintained.
• We are highly pleased with how things are managed (and operated) here.
  • So much so that we will readily tell our friends, family, and prospective residents 
    that this is a great place to live.
• Our voices are heard, input is welcomed, and we all get satisfactory answers to our questions.
• We have an active and engaged BOARD wherein all Board Members feel (strongly) they represent the interests of the RESIDENTS, not just their own individual interests (or one-off special projects).
• We have active and engaged residents … we have numerous activity and advisory committees.
• We have a 3 -to- 5-year plan for projects, improvements, and assessment changes that is well-communicated with the residents, and updated regularly – so we know where we are going and can plan our family budgets.
  -end-

Posted to Facebook 10.18.22 – To the “RHCC HOA Board Candidates”group

Derek, as you may have noticed, I do not reply to every posted question on this site 

However, as you may know, I am Head of the Turnover Finance Committee. I will follow with a few comments that result from information available to all of us, but which our Turnover Finance Committee looked into quite a bit (in other words, anyone of us could reach these same comments from information available to all us, if any of us expended the time and effort – none of these comments are beyond what any interested member could have concluded. Plus what all of us know from the Turnover Steering Committee updates. 

Accordingly,

1. I echo Doug Mitro’s comments that once we take control we will “pop the hood” and see the details of what’s been going on. 

2. The developer is obligated to deliver to the new owner-controlled board –  certified financial information  within 90 days. Don’t be surprised if that gets stretched out. But it is required to be delivered to us. 

3. The Turnover Steering Committee (based on the recommendation of the Turnover Finance Committee) has a CPA firm ready to go – to review and forensically audit, as necessary,  the financials delivered to the new Board. 

In summary, we are “locked and loaded”, as needed, to fully understand the recent financials of the golf course. 

4. We will fully understand our situation, backwards and forward, – I assure you. As a future Board member (I hope), or as a concerned resident. 

5. Your estimates of projected income in your post based on new residents needs to be tempered … 

As follows: 

1) +/- 95% of the new residents in the past 4.5 years have benefited from the “builders discount”. 

2) This is a reduction to the homeowner of the $2,200 per year in dues. 

3) It’s significant revenue that has not been coming into the club. 

4) This discount STOPS with Turnover. Practically, with the January 2026 dues. 

5) It will be a nice “pop” to income for the golf course, which the new board needs to allocate judiciously – we should be able to cover our needed RESERVES plus some course improvements. 

6. Jim Hafner tells us that as the resident members have grown, significantly since 2021, the revenue from “public play” has decreased. Seems to make sense. Although it does not seem like it – with all the outside tournaments in the last few weeks. But we should look across a full year to appreciate this offset to golf course revenue. Yes, revenue has increased attributable to new owner-residents, but revenue is also decreasing from reduced “public play”. Considering ongoing resident growth, we need to evaluate this “bump” in outside tournaments in the September / October months. 

7. From the statements provided to the Turnover Finance Committee, which are available to all of us open request, the golf course is somewhat positive income for all the years of operation since opening in the Fall of 2007 (about 18 years). Believe it or not. No matter, We’ll have our CPA firm look at all of this post-turnover.

7. The golf course ran an ugly loss in 2024, while we are on track to a healthy surplus in 2025. Yes, we can ask, was the 2025 %-increase in  dues necessary, and/ or should the management company been spending a few more bucks on upkeep !

8. Accumulated cash in the accounts should pass to the HOA at turnover. We will need to insist on this, with the help of  our legal and CPA firms , if needed. 

9. Although, the management does (will) receive a larger “bonus” for a nice profitable year in 2025 compared to the loss in 2024, it’s in the contract, the bulk of the profit remains  with the HOA. 

10. In conclusion; 

A) it’s not as crazy as it might seem, 

B) yes, the management company is likely driving towards a larger 2025 bonus. 

C) All other profits remain with the HOA,

D) we have legal and accounting experts in place to protect our interests. 

-end-

(same info as above, just in text only form ….)

ABOUT ME: 

• Retired Financial Analysis Executive from a Fortune 155 multinational.
• Full-year resident since 5.23 (about 2.4 years) with my wife, Rosalyn (Rose) Russell.
• Head of the Turnover Finance Committee since 5.24, THAC Resident Board Member since 9.24
• I will seek the Treasurer Position, if elected. 
• I am looking forward to the candidate forum night now promised by our HOA management.  

MY MISSION / MY PASSION: 

• I love working with numbers, financial analysis and planning, and being involved with making things better.
• I’ve expended many hours reviewing and understanding our (a) financial statements and (b) documents (Declarations, Articles, Bylaws).  I’d like to use this knowledge-base to help RHCC get off to a great start under our Owner-Controlled Board.
• Let’s ensure we get a great group of Board Members that represent our interests with commitment and energy.

MY VISION FOR RHCC:

• We are all proud and pleased with how our development looks … 
  … parkways, common areas, flowerbeds, golf course, and facilities.
• We have top-notch facilities that are well maintained.
• We are highly pleased with how things are managed (and operated) here.
  • So much so that we will readily tell our friends, family, and prospective residents 
    that this is a great place to live.
• Our voices are heard, input is welcomed, and we all get satisfactory answers to our questions.
• We have an active and engaged BOARD wherein all Board Members feel (strongly) they represent the interests of the RESIDENTS, not just their own individual interests (or one-off special projects).
• We have active and engaged residents … we have numerous activity and advisory committees.
• We have a 3 -to- 5-year plan for projects, improvements, and assessment changes that is well-communicated with the residents, and updated regularly – so we know where we are going and can plan our family budgets.

HOW DO WE PROCEED (SPECIFICS):

Better Communications / Great Transparency
— More, More
(from the BOARD and the Management Companies) 
— Clear communications of all changes, all improvements.
— Immediate Survey of the Residents for sentiment(s) on priorities, 
   … Get the consensus what we’d “like to see more of and/or less of” right away.
— Establish a website section for FAQ’s (nicely indexed)
— Implement On-Line “suggestion box” to the Board and the Community Manager …
   … 100% replies – either one-offs, in the weekly newsletter, and/or to the new FAQ site. 
Address Chronic Problems (Opportunities) with URGENCY
— Golf Course issues (numerous) and improvement opportunities (numerous), landscaping and “curb appeal” deficiencies, timely and orderly conveyance of common property to the owners, start building maintenance reserves … 
…  immediately begin development of a 1-to- 3-year plan for projects, improvements, and assessment impacts.  Advisory Committees:
— Immediately conduct a call-out and formation of several resident advisory committees to work with the BOARD, the Golf Course management company, and the HOA management company. We have great talent and interest that can help us to be great.
Projects – Immediately begin studies of:
— potential clubhouse upgrades (lean heavily on turnover committee recommendations)
— potential for additional or separate AMENITY facilities for RHCC “inside the gate”.
Fees / Assessments / Budgets:
– Spend very wisely.  Future assessment and dues increase ONLY when absolutely necessary. 
  … Smallest increases possible.
– Near-term member growth can fund maintenance reserves and cost-inflation.
Term Limits: 
– I commit to “Self-Term limit” myself to no more than 2 years. I commit to apply a high level of energy during the next 2-years to get us off to a great start.

jprssll56@gmail.com, 305-926-6007 (cell)

-end-

My Answer to fb Question(s) Regarding Resident Concerns:

I’ve observed a number of specific questions to the candidates requesting what is their individual solution (or approach)to specific concerns pertaining to the golf course (for example: tee time strain, cart rules, and personal golf cart practices).

• In general, I do not yet know the best resolution to each problem; however, I will commit to aggressively pursue, with the other board members, a “best solution” as rapidly as possible.
  

 Here’s an outline how to proceed:

• 1st, acknowledge that we have problems to solve demanding prompt resolution, Define each problem well. Ideally, we can turn these into opportunities.
  
• 2^nd, I propose the new Board forms a Golf Advisory Committee of several members – we have many residents with professional golf experience that can offer expertise and advice towards the alternative solutions we should consider. 
  
  We need several members to serve on this committee, and they should consult with other knowledgeable residents who will not be fully participating as committee members.
  
• 3^rd, we need a golf management company with strong Southwest Florida and national experience, and successful experience with bundled golf courses similar to ours – this management company must propose alternative solutions to each of our problems, tell us what has worked well and not so well at other courses, and what are the trade-offs with each alternative solution.
  
• 4^th, between the (a) expert input of the management company, (b) the Golf Advisory Committee’s expertise and advice, and (c) the new Board – we need to understand what will work best for our membership, then arrive at the best alternative — which of course should be our “best solution”.
  
• 5. However, we will need great roll-out communications to the membership (covering the WHAT, the WHY, and the HOW)
• 6. Then, we will need consistent member compliance (enforcement as necessary). Absolutely no special treatment, or exceptions.
  
• 7. Next, we need to closely monitor how things work.  We need to be willing and ready to tweak, modify, or even start-over if our expected results are not accomplished.
  

We can apply a similar approach to other questions, projects, and opportunities (problems) -such as landscaping shortfalls, general maintenance, clubhouse enhancements, and amenity improvements.

In closing, I sense we have the interest and energy amongst our fellow members to make RHCC a great place to live, play golf, and enjoy other activities.

With good Board leadership and sound management practices, especially in our early years of an owner-controlled Board, I feel positive that we can achieve our potential.     

Sincerely, 
James Russell

PS – Yes, we need to have more frequent Board meetings than once-per-year.  Especially in the first 1-2 years of owner-controlled Board.