ROC FAQ received with the email

I received a FAQ from the ROC with the email. Here it is. The text is posted after the image. Sorry for the fuzzy image! I have removed names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. If you want to contact these people directly, if you are a BLMH resident, email me with your email address and a telephone number and I'll either email the FAQ to you or give you the telephone number of the ROC representative. Sorry. but I cannot release this information to you until I have verified that you are a resident!

Here is the text from the FAQ. I have removed names and telephone numbers, etc.

BLMH Residents Of Change (ROC)
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The Residents of Change candidates have been talking and listening to a lot of folks over the past few weeks and we want to share with you some of the most frequently asked questions they’ve been receiving. If you have questions of your own, please call or email ______, ______or _______. Or stop by their homes—they are always willing to chat!

What is your opinion of [the professional management company]?
Let’s say that [the professional management company] is a baker and provides biscuits and bagels to BLMH. We don’t know the recipe that they use to create their products, we just know that we get our biscuits and bagels from them. Once we get into the kitchen and see how they blend the ingredients we’ll have a better idea of why their products taste the way they do. Perhaps they’ll allow us to tweak their recipe so that we may accommodate a wider variety of palates. We will say this about [the professional management company] - and it is our firsthand experience—they are not responsive to calls or even face-to-face inquiries. We will encourage them to become more responsive and courteous to the residents who pay for their services.

Have you had conflicts with current board members?
None of the ROC candidates have had conflicts or disagreements with the current board. That is one of the reasons why the Residents of Change organiza-tion chose us as candidates. There is no bad blood or contentious history between us and board members. Another reason why we were chosen is our back-grounds in conflict resolution and team building. Our success in our jobs depends upon our ability to overcome objections to reach common goals and work effectively with our colleagues. We intend to bring these on-the-job skills to our role as board members.

How will you work constructively with continuing board members?
We believe in team work. That is why we are running as a team with unified objectives and an implemen-tation plan. We will regard our fellow board members as part of the same team—after all, our goals should be to direct the association with fairness and consideration in an open and honest manner.

What do you mean by "forward-thinking ideas"?
Call it just plain old common courtesy, but we believe that every question from a resident should be answered, even if it is simply to say that their inquiry was received and someone will get back to them regarding it. Under the current directorship of our association, there is no mechanism in place to receive residents’ suggestions, comments, general questions, and yes, even complaints. We hope to change that by establishing an email address, a mailing address, and by publishing the phone numbers of board members who are willing to take calls from residents. Right now, it would appear that only ROC candidates are willing to have a discourse with residents. Our phone numbers, mailing addresses, and email addresses are readily available to all. If you note on the back of our association newsletter it clearly states in large capital letters "Contact [the professional management company] for all association related issues and maintenance." So, residents are virtually prohibited from expressing their thoughts to any board member. We would like to make it easy for anyone to express themselves. And be assured of a reply.

Another forward-thinking idea that also relates to communication is to develop Residents’ Roundtables as a sort of clearing house for issues that concern residents. The thought is that neighbors and friends can host a coffee-klatch, or after-dinner, or a Sunday afternoon get-together on a regular basis to find out what each other are thinking. This would be a great forum for exchanging ideas, bringing forth improve-ments, and sharing knowledge for the benefit of all. The candidates are all willing to attend these neighborhood roundtables and find out firsthand what people are thinking and saying.

Can you define "repressive measures"?
Well, the definitions of repression are to hold back or keep from some action; to control so strictly or severely as to prevent natural development or expression; to impose an inhibiting discipline that discourages free thinking. How much brighter our community could be if we lived under the opposite umbrella of progressiveness, enlightenment, open-mindedness, tolerance, cordiality, and good humor.

Do you intend to make changes regarding our landscaping?
Absolutely not! We love how BLMH looks and we will continue to maintain the grounds as beautifully as they are now. But, we believe that our residents deserve the same respect and attention that we currently give to the trees that line our streets.

Do you plan to raise or lower assessments?
Until we become part of the process that determines how assessments are levied we cannot know if they will rise, remain the same, or be lowered. We will certainly scrutinize every dollar amount in every account number and see if there might be ways to economize without losing or downgrading services. And, we’ll brainstorm with other association boards to see how they maintain services without overburdening residents with ever-increasing assessments.

Got a Question? Call or write us—we’re always happy to hear from our neighbors.

[names, addressess, telephone numbers and emails withheld]