Windsor Life
Page 4
Another thing to keep in mind: the rule makers change, so the rules
may change. You may have lived here a long time and things are
different now than when you bought your property. You may feel like
this isn’t what you signed up for. That is not unlike a different political
party taking power in the government. Not what you signed up for,
and you don’t like it. Nonetheless the government changed, the rules
changed and you are responsible to follow the new
rules or suffer the consequences of enforcement
of those rules.
Please, I ask each of you, to help change the tide
that I see sweeping across this community and
across our culture in general. Be brave: be kind.
Work to make the community the best it can be.
Come to committee meetings. Make your voice
heard. Run for the Board of Directors. And when
things don’t go your way, when the rules irritate
you, remember the basics of human kindness.
Please stop biting.
Admin News
The Association’s year-end audit is in full swing,
and we anticipate its completion by the end of July.
Also, the Board of Directors voted to move forward
with the next steps in getting the community
FHA approved and we will be re-submitting the
application packet to HUD with the required
documentation by the end of July.
We have signed an agreement with SBSA, Inc.
to work on the updated reserve study, which will
begin in July as well.
Capital Projects
The construction company handling the Parking Lot 9 reconstruction
project has finally received the much anticipated permit from the City
of Denver's Fire Division
.
It took some intervention on the
part of our ever helpful City Councilwoman, Mary Beth
Susman, and we are grateful for her assistance with the
situation.
The boiler replacements have been completed in Building
2, 5, 9 and 82. We will be starting on Building 8 next.
The Building 11 lanai reinforcement project is expected to
be complete this month.
The testing on Underground Parking Lots 24, 25, and 26
was completed in June and we are waiting for the results.
We will begin the waterproofing of the cut-out areas in the
weeks ahead. The areas have been treated with larvicide
to prevent any issues with mosquitoes while we determine
the best method of waterproofing. Now that the testing has
been completed, we will begin the process of removing
the concrete beam that sits over lots 25 and 26.
Carpet has been installed in the stairwells in Buildings 43, 57 and 62.
Activities Department
The Activities Department will be hosting a book signing for Windsor
Gardens authors on September 14. We are honored to have so many
talented residents in our community.
There will be a speaker giving a presentation in the Fitness Center on
July 11 to discuss the new audio equipment on the exercise equipment.
Stop Biting, Be Brave, Be Kind
This past week, I was asked by a friend to pet sit. She was going
away for a few days and was leaving behind a menagerie of feathered
or furry family members. A bunny, 2 dogs and 2 birds to be precise.
She asked me to pay special attention to one of the birds who enjoyed
human interaction and would benefit from some
verbal engagement. This particular bird was very
chatty, squawking throughout the duration of my
visits. Nonetheless, each time I reached into
her cage to feed her, she bit me. I had what she
needed, her food, but her fear and frustration at the
loss of her normal companion led her to strike out,
bite the hand that was feeding her. This interaction
that took place over a couple of days reminds
me of a disheartening dynamic I have witnessed
increasingly over the past several months in the
Windsor Gardens community.
People’s reactions to their fear and frustration
sometimes don’t make sense to others. Regularly,
the hand that is closest is the one that gets bit.
Maybe it’s to be expected. Nonetheless, I think it is
worth discussing.
Over the past several months, a lot of time has been
spent educating the community on the process of
governance in an HOA. How decisions are made.
How policies are created. Still, on a daily basis,
some of the residents of the community are certain
that their frustration over policy issues would
best be handled by aggressive and inappropriate
responses to the Association employees. Association employees are
hired to carry out the policies implemented by the Board. They are
not called upon to agree or disagree with the policy; they are called
upon to enforce policy. I have read emails sent to Administration,
Community Response and Maintenance employees that
have caused me great pause. They exhibit a grave
display of misplaced frustration and anger.
I met with a wise gentleman this past week who reminded
me that when these types of interactions take place, it
can be that the employees are being viewed as “objects”
that are getting in the way of an individual’s desires. He
reminded me that usually it isn’t personal. He is correct.
Still, it must be said, it often feels very personal. When
you come into the administration office, look directly at
an employee and call that employee an expletive, it feels
personal. When you engage in a word battle over several
emails with an employee, it feels personal.
When you purchased your home in Windsor Gardens, you
agreed to live in a community that is governed by several
legal documents, including the Association Declaration,
Bylaws and policies and procedures. Just like the laws of
the land, these documents can change, and, depending on the specific
document, they can be altered in a variety of ways. The Declaration
can only be changed by a vote of the entire community. The bylaws
can be changed by a vote of the Board of Directors. Policies and
procedures are formed in committees and then approved by the
Board of Directors. All of the people that determine these “rules” are
owners of property in this community. One owner doesn’t make the
rules. Many owners make the rules. Many owners determine who is
on the Board of Directors. You are the rule makers of your community.
Snapshots
From General Manager Tami Bonner
SNAPSHOTS
continued on page 5
We should be
inspired by people...
who show that
human beings can
be kind, brave,
generous, beautiful,
strong
–
even in
the most difficult
circumstances.
~~Rachel Corrie
Be Brave:
Be Kind
