Need To Know Basis

WATCHDOG © 2011

The Watchdog has discovered secret meetings appear to be transpiring during after hours at the Honu Street facility. One such meeting was last Thursday evening. Not all Board Members were present but a majority were plus one 'invited' non-director. The next secret meeting is supposed to be happening this Thursday at 6P at the Honu Street facility. Full disclosure: The two meetings, scheduled but not listed on the 'official calendar', are committee meetings. Query: Why would there be a/some secret committee meeting/s with 'invited' non director guests to the exclusion of others? LOCK DOWN!

Just in case you do not venture over to the 'official' website much please do pay attention to the calendar. Notice there is a special meeting of the board scheduled for next Thursday evening, the 28th, at 6P. This is a particularly important meeting for all members to attend. Why? Because a document that is being considered -- and likely will pass in its current state -- which will grant members the 'right' to view HSCA DVD's, to review documents such as the Petitions and other interactions between the membership and the official business of HSCA, but only if a member signs said document, will be decided the evening of the 28th.* Most members have not had the opportunity to review the document. It is a two sided document provided by the new legal rep for the Board which obviously employs cut and paste boiler plate legalese. The problem? Threatening undertones to members who sign the document and then by intent or mistake violate the terms of the document. Such threats as: 'member obligation' will be 'binding' on 'heirs' -- to name a few. This obligation includes any sort of 'fee' imposed due to legal action brought against the member for violation of the agreement. [The language seems to include the penalties/binding agreement be in force even after termination of the agreement. Think about that.] For instance, if you sign the agreement so you can check out the latest meeting DVD and you and your neighbors decide to watch it together, but the neighbor has not signed the agreement, then you are in violation! Imagine! You can no longer have friends over, watch the HSCA Board Meeting DVD and consider what is going on with your Association unless each of the friends have signed the agreement! This also means, without prior permission from the Board, said DVD could not be used as evidence in a criminal complaint to clear a member's good name; as it has in the past. [Those who are familiar with the historic event that required a copy of the portion of a DVD from the 2008 Member Meeting for just this purpose would likely not have received the permission if it happened today because one of the individuals involved in that incident is a 'friend' and purveyor of services to the Board.]  LOCK DOWN!

A trip to the 'Announcements' section of the 'official' website will provide you with a list of times for upcoming committee meetings as well as some documents available for review. What is missing -- as of this writing -- is a copy of the "Agreement To Review Information". Members will not -- as of this writing -- be able to familiarize themselves with this 'Agreement' so they may participate in discussion of this item. Perhaps, if there is sufficient clamor it may be made available. If not, a serious disservice is being done to the Membership. If you were in attendance at the last Board meeting then you may remember one of the directors tabled the discussion of the agreement because it was way too important to discuss in the few moments pending of the meeting before adjournment. She did that for the Membership because she knew the gravity of this document. 

Committee meetings every half hour beginning at 8A on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Wow! Considering the agenda for some of these committees are we looking at placation here with minimal time spent in 'official' committee meeting and then the 'lanai' or 'unofficial' but definitely more binding committee meetings perhaps being held sans notice and full committee membership? Without the presence of members from the community who are not 'on a committee' but have the right to attend nonetheless? Currently, the "Papio Ocean Park" [Did you know that is the official name of the new park?] is being developed under the auspices of the 'Ocean Park' committee. Notice the absence of the Ocean Park Committee from the calendar or announcement pages -- at the time of this writing. This would be for 'members of the community' not on the committee to attend and to stay informed. It appears this will be the norm despite the notice that committee meetings [like Board meetings] cannot transpire whimsically but should be noticed and should be regular. They are, in fact, not only continuing to happen but now inclusive of other means of communication and inclusive of 'some' non committee members of their community --it appears -- to the exclusion of members from the community. LOCK DOWN!

* NOTE: Regarding the 'Agreement To Review Information': The motion was made regarding the 'review' of petitions to allow the review subject to a person signing an affidavit with specific legislative language from HRS 421j-5; not an 'Agreement To Review Information'. 


UPDATE 04/23/11: Will the contents of this "Agreement" become Waterloo, or the first battle towards that end? Will the Membership WAKE UP? This can only end one of three ways; one way is less desirable than the other but one way is absolutely unacceptable! It is up to the community to STAND for their Statutory RIGHTS! Let's not allow an information LOCK DOWN!