HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – As the newly appointed, but well-experienced general manager for Hidden Valley Lake subdivision, Cindy Spears’ analogy for the peacemaking job between the HVL board of directors and a group of homeowners ahead of her was on target.
“Have I dealt with the scenario where I went in and calmed the waters? Yes. Have I had experience with a community that is disagreeing with this, that and the other? Absolutely. Whenever there’s a change there’s going to be some turmoil,” said Spears.
The change at HVL involves the construction of a new facility housing a restaurant, bar and golf pro shop to be known as the Hartmann Building, and, if not a new clubhouse, certainly a refurbished one.
Estimated costs for such improvements have ranged from $5 million to $8 million, but this is only speculative.
Nevertheless, the issue of cost has, as Spears noted, resulted in turmoil as can be observed from the critical mass and severity of protest letters, pickets and parades to the podium at board of directors meetings by the most vocal critics.
They are demanding a communitywide vote before any cornerstone can be laid. The most demonstrative, reportedly, have completed a petition for the recall of HVLA Board President Bill Waite.
This then is the situation that Spears stepped into a month ago when she brought her three decades of property management and hospitality and golf management west from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina where she gained most of her experience.
Her expertise, she said, ranged from housing communities of 1,500 to 4,000 units. HVL has 3,200 units and an estimated 9,000 residents.
Spears has an extraordinary skill set. Reportedly, only about 2,000 in her profession have college degrees and significant experience in both property management and hospitality.
Still the question remains, can she resolve the dispute in Hidden Valley Lake?
She is guarded about her position on the proposed Hartmann Building and the new or renovated clubhouse, and the issues involved.
“I don’t really have a position at this point because we don’t have all the information, such as the dollar amount and the size,” Spears said. “My responsibility right now is just to gather all the information on (potential) uses of the building, then forward it to the board of directors and they make those decisions.”
But, she added, “You start hearing numbers like $8 million or $10 million. I’m not quite sure where they came from.”
Does she regard this as counter-productive?
“Yes. It (runs) very counter because it’s in the way,” she said. “I want to be very careful about how I say this because I don’t want to offend anyone, but we don’t really know what’s the dollar amount or the size will be and we haven‘t proposed anything to the board or to the community. Until you do you can't have an opinion either way.
“My responsibility right now,” she added, “is just to gather all the information on (potential) uses of the building then forward it to the board of directors and they make those decisions.”
Additional pertinent issues covered by Spears during an interview at HVL include the petition to recall Bill Waite.
“I don’t necessarily have a comment on that. If you were to ask me if I had seen other recalls in other communities, my answer would be yes, I have. Normally when there’s a recall there has been an egregious act of some sort. Something really outrageous has occurred,” she said.
“Recalls are not that common, but I can tell you from the management aspect of it there is an after-effect for years to come,” Spears continued.
“My understanding is this is the second recall in this community. In my 30 years of experience I have never known of two recalls taking place in the same community.
“But I don’t want to offend anyone who may feel a recall is necessary, because I don’t know enough about it … so it’s a ‘no comment.’”
Spears wants homeowners to understand that she is not involved politically. Her job, she said, is operations – working for the membership to maintain the various amenities and getting direction from the board of directors.
But will a skeptical segment of homeowners see it that way?
“I think a year from now we can have this conversation and I hope they do see it that way,” she said.
Spears also was asked about what can be done to mollify the group of residents who are critical of a lack of transparency in the board of directors' governing.
“Communication with the homeowners and correct information going to the home owners,” Spears said. “Town hall meetings will give a very clear concise view of our plan, providing real numbers and preventing the rumor mill from getting out of control.“
Ideally, she said, the town hall meetings would be held quarterly.
Other issues of concern to residents include a 4-3 vote of the board of directors on April 3 that appointed former HVL general manager Bill Chapman as a consultant only to have that position terminated less than two months later.
Waite confirmed the termination, but said that any details were confidential, and then said that Spears would oversee Chapman’s work, which she did by dismissing him.
“Once the board made a decision to hire me it was my decision to terminate the contract with Mr. Chapman,” she said. “There was no ill will. We appreciated that he was willing to stay on if needed. It was the best thing to do for all parties involved.
“I mean no criticism of Mr. Chapman; I don’t even know him,” she added. “Historically, Mr. Chapman has a lot of information. So why lose that? There’s a value to it.”
Spears’ immediate focus is on a beautification project, better organization and a survey that will be mailed to all HVL residents.
“I’m just dealing with what we have here today and I think we have a truly beautiful community and some wonderful staff members,” she said. “I also know that they’re operating somewhat independently, so not only do I have to bring the community together but I need to bring the staff together as well.”
Although Spears says she is committed to walking softly, she set tongues wagging recently when she attended and spoke at a rally of sorts of the most active homeowners at a spot on the housing community’s lake called “the little beach.”
Her arrival was hard not to notice. She was waving a white flag and was accompanied by HVL Security Chief Charles Russ.
What she was trying to communicate, she said, was a friendly message.
Spears said she has no particular agenda.
“My goal is to build community at Hidden Valley,” she reasoned. “It’s being viewed as a golf facility and a food and beverage facility and it needs to be viewed as a community.
“They have special interests here and my job is to fix that,” she said.
Email John Lindblom at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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