Marone: Suggestions for change at RCSC in Sun City
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Sun City — the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good — Sun City is probably the very best bang for your buck and for your mental and physical health when it comes to senior communities. It probably has a variety of more recreational facilities, arts, crafts, clubs and golf courses per capita than any other senior community out there and at the lowest cost of all!
The bad and ugly — it’s hard to separate the bad from the ugly because what’s bad is ugly! What’s bad is what used to be a community that pretty much co-administered and was involved in the things that took place within the community to a point where the community can’t do anything without first going through and getting the approval from the board or management! What’s bad is 17 pages of new bylaws where more than likely none of which were initiated by the members. What’s bad is the community hasn’t been able to hold the annual membership meeting since 2009 because of the high quorum requirements! It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that that level must be too high!
The real ugly? That would be the Sept. 13 board meeting that lasted less than four minutes, not to mention the members of the sheriff’s department the board called in to be there! What initiated that type of participation/reaction by the members to that meeting was the method in which director Karen McAdam was dismissed, which was an egregious violation of the RCSC’s own bylaws. I won’t bore you with the legalese, only to suggest you read Arizona Revised Statute 10-3808, which mandates that the RCSC’s own bylaws provide the required procedures to remove a director. Robert’s Rules is the board’s parliamentary authority, which requires charges must be preferred and a formal trial conducted. See RONR 12th Ed. 61:22. No such trial or due process was afforded to the accused, and she wasn’t the first director to be treated in that manner by this board, and they wonder why some want a recall petition?
I’ve got complaints but I also have suggestions.
My suggestion for a quorum would be 300-500 with 3-4 general membership meetings per year. There are many philosophies relating to the size of a quorum but the one I like best is the one that suggests a quorum should be set at a level in which you can reasonably expect the number of members who will attend. If the number is too low and too many bad decisions/motions are passed, I’m sure twice the number of members would show up at the next meeting to undo anything before any real damage was done. The reason nobody shows up to general membership meetings any more is because they know nothing ever gets done. The more we the members can get accomplished at membership meetings the more members will participate!
My suggestion for the bylaws is to establish a bylaw committee made up of both board and community members to go back over the bylaws, amend them and return them to their original intent. The simple fact that members aren’t allowed to collect signatures for proxy votes, referendums or recall petitions on RCSC property is appalling and would be a good first step! We paid for those facilities!
