The second public forum with candidates for two community club board of directors seats showed that a format of the audience asking unscreened questions, while risky, can turn out just fine.
The event of the Committee for Member Awareness last Thursday was in contrast to that of the June 22 forum of the community club’s Election Committee.
In the latter’s controlled format, the Election Committee selected questions that were submitted in advance by club members, the audience was not permitted to ask questions, and the candidates were clocked in the amount of time they had for their answers.
CFMA leader Gerry Miller said his committee was pleased with “the free dialog between the attendees and the candidates.”
“The planned format clearly worked.”
The 90-minute program was extended by 10 minutes because some in the audience wanted to continue to question the candidates.
Anyone could ask a question – about half of the 42 in attendance did, some more than once – and the candidates were not limited in the time of their responses.
The mood was casual, conversational. The only requirement, Miller told the audience at the start, was that the questions had to be respectful.
They were. There was no name calling, no accusations hurled at the candidates, no hostile comments about the community club’s board of directors and declarant. The candidates also were respectful of each other.
Three of the four candidates attended — Bruce Evans, Gary Krivo and Ted Landers. Andy Whirl told the Glade Sun he declined the invitation because of a previous dental appointment involving a chipped tooth.
The forum did have downsides.
The candidates must have felt they were experiencing deja vu as they often repeated their positions on three campaign issues – the board’s transparency, communications and level of trust the members have in it – just as they did during the community club’s event.
One person asked the candidates who they would vote for board officers if elected. The candidates couldn’t say at this time because, they reasoned, it would depend on the composition of the new board.
Some took a long time at the microphone because they first commented on the issues they wanted the board to address, and one person read background information for fully two minutes before asking his question.
But questioners could dive into a variety of extra-sensitive issues that weren’t part of the community club’s format.
One asked the candidates how they would have voted earlier this year on board-approved revisions to a policy that could make it more difficult for owners of lots along unpaved roads to get sewer service. All three said they would have voted against it.
Whirl, reached by the Glade Sun, would not say how he might have voted. He said the revisions were unnecessary because, he contended, a 2006 agreement the community club has with the state attorney general specifies paved roads must be built before sewer lines can be installed. He said it should have been “a non-issue.”
Some questions revealed differences between the candidates. One person asked what each candidate would do to improve communication between the declarant and membership.
Landers listed several requirements that he said should apply before the declarant could build roads, including putting a cap on what he could charge property owners and detailing how property owners would share in the costs.
“It should be a partnership,” Landers said, “and it is not a partnership at this point.”
Evans said the declarant is required under his separate 2006 agreement with the attorney general to develop land south of Peavine Road. Evans said the declarant has not developed “a single road” there in the last 15 years.
Referring to Anderson, who became the new declarant in 2017, Evans said “And I think it’s his obligation, now as the declarant, to improve roads on his dime.”
Krivo said he would meet with the declarant on “the first day” to begin “a fresh start” in relations.
“But make no mistake, the new boss ain’t the same as the old boss,” Krivo said, referring to the coming change in board leadership. He said the board “is there to protect the interests of the community.”
A big revelation of this event was that an open format of questions from the audience was interesting, informative and productive not only for the voters in the audience but also for the candidates.
At least this time.