The following “letter to the editor” was sent to me from Jim and Sandy McPherson, who are heavily involved in pickleball and have directed pickleball tournaments in the Village. I will publish the POA/Board point of view when they issue a press release. – Cheryl
“Hi Cheryl,
“We follow your articles and are very grateful to you for all the work you put into this calling. We are especially grateful for your article on the “Pickle” caused by the POA change of mind regarding signage on the windscreens. You told the whole truth and followed through to the unhappy ending. It certainly will make it difficult to attract future sponsors, knowing they get no bang for their buck.
“It is discouraging to run a tournament in HSV, knowing that the POA demands its pound of flesh by collecting a large daily rent that includes annual pass holders purchased by many of the tournament players and will not even contribute as a sponsor of the event. The PB Club faces huge challenges in running the tournament, such as bad weather, no internet to run the program that keeps 500 matches on time, and mountains of work that involves 100 or more people. Tournament participants now have many weekly choices about where they can go for tournaments, so there is stiff competition for enough players to make running a tournament worthwhile.
“Jim and I used to direct and run the whole shebang, but my stroke in 2019 left me unable to run the computer program that requires split-second reaction, and Jim is hesitant to direct another event, knowing that we must hire a program manager at $1500 plus lodging, and the internet we used is dependent on a hotspot provided by mobile phone.
“Plus, the director is in the hot seat for months preceding the tournament, and no one in the Village except Jim has the experience to pull it off. I always take as much burden off him as possible, but our lives revolve around that tournament and little else.
“Christie Borne was the latest person who directed a tournament here; her efforts netted only about 100 players, which might have allowed her to break even after paying all the key people and the POA rent. For the risk involved and the endless days of slave labor, hosting a PB tournament in HSV has become a nightmare that no one is willing to endure.
“The bottom line is simply that the only real winner for having a tournament is the POA who:
“(1) doesn’t support the tournament financially or visibly; and
“(2) gains financially by the pound of flesh AND by enjoying increased revenue generated from the tournament participants who have bought lots and homes here.”
Jim and Sandy McPherson
I should probably stay out of this, but you that know me, also know that is not likely in most cases. First, the original construction of the pickleball courts failed from the get-go. The wrong surface was chosen and like many others, I have opinions on who was at fault, but that is now history. The reality is that with very little research, anyone with common sense would never have approved this type of surface for our climate. That is all water under the bridge and we really shouldn’t be focusing on that subject any longer.
However, the reason this became news again was the direct result of a change of direction as it relates to signage. Maybe it was a new direction, but one that was originally ignored. Here is the real problem. The POA and management staff decided it was time to either play by the rules, or they decided to change the rules. Which one doesn’t really matter. Realty is that the rollout was once again back to the days of old when we would consistently put the cart before the horse. Also a prime example of ready, fire, aim.
What do I mean by that? Well, if you are going to change policy, or even enforce what you believe to be the policy, the typical progression would be to ensure the policies that relate to the subject are in place. In this case, signage. Then it is a good idea to obtain property owner input on what is being proposed and why. Once the policy is solidified with the community, you begin the enforcement of the policy. If it is a change in the way things were being done, then you allow some cure period and a transition plan, ensuring you have done everything in your power to explain it to those who will be impacted. That does not appear to be what happened. It was another we do it this way one day, and then the next day, we do it another way.
The pickleball courts should be handled no differently than any other amenity/activity. Many didn’t care for the wind screen marketing approach when it was done, including me. However, the Club went about raising their own funds to make things better at the pickleball courts and it appears one day they are just told things are going to change. That is great in a dictatorship, but not in a community where the property owners are the owners that is everything called the POA.
Many know I am very involved in the HSV Evening Lions and we were also impacted by this change of direction. As our 50 year project we raised funds to make Balboa Park a reality. Part of that was signage. We have been working on this project for at least the last 18 months. We attempted to do everything right. We took signage drawings, layouts, etc. before not only the ACC, but the POA Board on several occasions. After we had already purchased the signage, we were told we couldn’t use what had already been approved. Who operates like that?
Here is the real point and bottom line of this whole signage issue. How can you expect Clubs who are attempting to give back to their communities, generally through fundraising activities, going to continue to operate in an environment where sponsors will be nearly impossible to get due to not having their names displayed. For them, while the donations are typically tax deductible, it is also a marketing expense.
These types of decisions have far-reaching implications. I am unsure what the current status is in this change of direction, but those with decision-making authority should also consider the far-reaching impact shutting down Clubs ability to provide credit to donors through marketing avenues. This really needs further discussion and input not only from property owners, but from the Clubs who will be impacted by decisions that are made.
I would just like to comment on the McPherson’s letter. I do not know the details of the building of the PB courts; who obtained the contractor, who laid out the specifications, who paid for the construction, who was liable for rapid court failure etc., etc., etc.
I would like to address the negative feelings that our POA is ripping off the PB club and players, especially for tournaments, and that the POA shows no compassion for the PB’ers when it comes to fees and costs to play, again mainly focused on tournament events. I must totally disagree and use our golf as evidence.
As we all know, there are quite hefty fees to play golf on our HSV courses. I will not try to get into a comparison because we are dealing with apples vs oranges. Let’s suffice it to say there are many golfers who feel golf rates are to high which discourages play, just as there are many PB players that feel their fees are too much. Both sport groups must pay a POA established fee, so there can’t be or should not be feelings of miss treatment in the area of rates/fee for daily play. From the letter, it sounds like the real sore point is tournament play and the POA is not supporting or sympathizing with the PB club in the fees/costs they are charged to have exclusive use of the courts for their tournaments.
I have been involved with putting on an annual golf tournament for several years, so I am quite familiar with the costs a group or charity faces to put on a golf tournament. I know each course that can be used, Magellan, DeSoto, Balboa, and Ponce (no Isabella or Granada) have their own fee schedule. I will not get into exact numbers, but suffice it to say it is several thousand dollars for exclusive use of a course for a day. As far as people putting on or working a golf tournament, they are all volunteers and if there are dinners or lunches involved, the volunteers pay for them, if they participate. So again, I feel there should not be any feeling of being mistreated or taken advantage of. Remember when a golf course or the PB courts are closed exclusively for someone’s tournament, the POA loses the revenue for the day of the course or courts. They must recoup much of that loss in revenue by charging the organizers a fee.
It sounds to me that these PB tournaments are pretty sophisticated, and they want them run like a professional group or high dollar club or organization would put on. If that is what is wanted or needed, then all those costs should be built into a player’s entry fee, to play in the event. The POA, all the members, should not have to pay for reduced fees for the PB club, so they can put on a near professional PB tournament. Our golf tournaments are not like PGA events, and the participants don’t expect it. Perhaps the PB club should lower their expectations and standards and increase the entry fees for their events. Then they will be able to have less animosity toward the POA and a less stressful time putting on an event,
The POA has financed the entire pickleball court area , to the best of my knowledge, since day one. I am sure that it is very frustrating to you and your husband, who have taken the lead on pickleball tournaments. A tournament or event takes a lot of time and energy. From my perspective on your letter, it seems like there is a need to get more members involved, if other members don’t ever participate, no one will ever have the experience to take on or share this responsibility in the future.
I am not aware if the POA is paying for the leadership on fishing tournaments, tennis tournaments etc.; thus I am not sure that we want to set a precedent for POA oversight of pickleball tournaments. Every organization should be treated equitably. Perhaps it would be helpful if you could clearly state what type of support you are seeking from the POA.
Perhaps the POA is the “big winner” when there is a tournament with increased traffic at facilities and rental properties, but I think that these events are equally for the benefit of the pickle ball members who enjoy the
to opportunity to compete close to home.
As it was stated by one of our board members in a response: all residents and property owners are the POA; it is not a separate entity.
Are all the same rules applied to the other sports, boccee ball, lawn bowling, as they are pickleball? If not why? Not trying to be difficult just trying to understand.
Your questions, as a new villager, are very appropriate but would take considerable time to address thoroughly. Those of us who have lived here a few years and try to keep informed have gleened much information by attending committee meetings, budget workshops, board meetings, and staying abreast of what’s going on. Not many people seem to want to invest the time and effort to do that. After all, most of us retired and hoped to leave those matters to others to deal with so we could go about more enjoyable endeavors. As long as the trash gets picked up, the roads are drivable and the toilet flushes, they are happy. If you have not already done so, sign up on the POA website to received the digital Weekly Friday Digest. It lists upcoming committee meetings, board meetings, updates from the Public Works Department, Golf Department and Recreation Department. I’d recommend you attend the following committee meetings: Architectural Control, Public Services, Finance & Planning, Common Properties, and Recreation. If you live on a lake or are active in golf, there are committees for those as well. All meetings are open for property owners to attend, unless otherwise specified (which is the exception, not the rule). All meetings of this nature provide a time at the end for property owners to comment or ask questions. Thank you for wanting to better understand the community you have moved to. It’s so much better than relying on the grapevine or ill-informed speculation. Maybe you will even decide to volunteer on a committee in the future, which would be awesome.
I’m new here. I have a few questions and am trying to understand how items are maintained/repaired related to the various sports offered.
1. How old are the Pickleball courts?
2. Does each sport normally fix/replace/replace/resurface when needed, such as golf, tennis, pickleball?
3. Is there a maintained schedule for the upkeep of any of the courts such as pickleball and tennis/accrual account to ensure upkeep?
4. Is the budget broken out by each sport or are some/all lumped together (trying to understand cost/upkeep for each sport)
5. What is the process for vetting a contractor?
6. Is there a specific number of bids required for items needing repaired/upkeep?
7. Is their a specific dollar amount that the board can approve without membership approval?
I know I have several questions to start and if someone in the know would prefer to have a live conversation I certainly am open to that.
Thank you kindly,
Bonnie Douglas
why does the poa use our dues to subsidize the pickleball and tennis clubs? members of these clubs should pay for everything related to maintenance…there are 300 members in the pickleball club and 400 in tennis club which means 15,000 of us dont use them..i left a message asking the cfo how much was spent on resurfacing and never got a call back
Did you ask about Golf or the restaurants here and how they survive? We, the Villagers, are also subsidizing those.
You do understand that tennis an PB annual memberships are over 200.00 dollars for the year – so that money plus the assessment fees we pay are helping to pay for maint.
The golf members also pay a hefty fee. Is it enough to cover all the maintenance costs? I don’t know, but the POA established this model and therefore we need to assume it is correct and working.
I am not sure what you are actually asking for that doesn’t already exist.
Tired of the “I don’t use it, so I shouldn’t pay” argument. I don’t use the library, children’s playgrounds, tennis courts, pool, or 90% of the streets and infrastructure. I gladly pay for all of these things (and school taxes too) because they are what make us a community.
Perhaps one important point of clarification:
You speak of the POA as if it is a separate entity. WE, the property owners, are the POA.
does the poa subsidize the re surfacing of the pickleball courts the last 2 times ? who paid for the original installation of the pickleball courts ?
Perhaps the real questions should be ‘WHY did the courts have to be resurfaced and WHY did the POA (us) have to pay?
Let me speculate:
1) the original job was not done properly or with high quality materials. Probably a result of selecting the contract bid that was the least in cost.
2) the contract itself probably did not have any Warranty period or Service Level Agreements that specified when maintenance and service should be the responsibility of the contractor and clearly state who and what the POA would be responsible for regarding court maintenance.
Without either Warranty or SLA’s, once the courts were built, the contractor would be off the hook for any responsibility to fix shoddy work or do annual repairs and maintenance. It is possible the POA knowingly signed a contract they would be responsible for all maintenance after the contractor left. If the POA signed a contract taking in all maintenance- then I suppose that’s the only answer there is.
3) if the contract did have detailed conditions as to when the contractor would be responsible for repairs and just would not do them – I don’t imagine we want to be in yet another lawsuit because of poor workmanship, non-delivery, breech of contract or other that would potentially cost us even more?
The POA would need to produce the contract to verify those points. My statements are general speculation about contracts and I do not have personal knowledge of the contract between the vendor and Village PB courts itself.
The courts are not old, there was no abuse or vandalism to the courts and no catastrophic event that damaged the courts. They simply were coming apart. I don’t know why exactly, but that also to be known.
The investment into an amenity will ALWAYS require proper budgeting for annual maintenance and upgrades in order to keep it functioning (case in point – wasn’t there an old pool that wasn’t properly maintained? had to be shut down, and subsequently a new pool built?)
My guess is the repairs were made right away in order to make sure the damage didn’t get worse and cost even more later. But the real question is WHY a recently constructed facility had to undergo massive renovation and WHY wasn’t the contractor responsible for any of the costly repairs?
Nancy, there’s more to understand about why the pickleball courts failed within two years of their original construction. The specialized surface that was used, did not hold up, that is clear. There were various theories about why that was the case: too much Arkansas humidity, underground water, faulty installation were a few. When it failed with apparently no real understanding of why, it was determined that the entire surface needed to be removed and a more “conventional” surface should be installed. Why the original surface was chosen, who made those recommendations, who wrote the specs that the contractor bid on, and why was it subsequently not warrantied are curious questions to me.