Ranches HOA endorsement

Last night I attended the monthly Ranches HOA board meeting with the intention to request an endorsement from the HOA. I had prepared a written statement touching upon my belief of the HOA and the importance of them performing their job at a high level.

The HOA doesn’t own land in our city but they have negotiated the responsibility to maintain the city owned parks and grass-strips. The city and HOA should always work in a cooperative manner that progresses what should be a shared objective of creating and maintaining a beautiful city. That has not always been the case, as was evidenced last year when the city shut off the water which was being used to water the parkstrips in Ranches parkway. As a result, tens of thousands of dollars in new landscaping was lost. While at the same time Nolan park was continually watered.

The HOA is responsible for enforcing the CC&Rs that each homeowner is obliged to live in accordance to. I served on the board of the Eastgate Townhome HOA in Provo for over 3 years. Although the role and impact of that HOA is not the same as the Ranches HOA, there are intrinsic responsibilities that are expected. The task of rule enforcement is enormous and difficult and I am appreciative for the effort that goes into maintaining consistency across our neighborhoods and city.

The HOA board went into closed executive session before making a decision on their endorsement, but I look forward to hearing from them soon. I recognize the political difficulty placed on the board to endorse a candidate, placing the HOA at risk if their endorsed candidate loses or performs poorly. However, after meeting with them, I am confident that they support me, at least on an individual basis, and will communicate a healthy message that will be informative and honest.