Dear Vecinos,
Please allow me to put our current search for a new management company into perspective. When we fired our general manager two years ago, we (the Board) realized that our financials were a mess. Since Cadden-Ramirez Management had a local presence and had approached us before, we asked them for a new proposal to take over our accounting and finances. We held a general election to approve the change in management styles, because it was a major shift in direction. We know now that outside oversight is a real benefit.
There is no question that Cadden-Ramirez improved our accounting and office procedures, but it came at a high cost. Our basic services cost $60,000 per year, plus we pay extra for mailings, etc. The biggest benefit seems to be the comfort derived from having an outside, professional party handle our money.
Last February the Board formed a task force to evaluate both the services provided by Cadden-Ramirez and the costs associated with the services. Their conclusion was that we could do better if we looked at other options, which we had not done before. A committee was formed to design a Request for Proposal (RFP) so that we could compare Cadden-Ramirez’s service to those of similar companies. What they learned was that we can receive virtually the same services from another U.S. firm at a substantially reduced cost. The task force thinks it’s important to know that Cadden-Ramirez Management did not respond to the RFP, even though Mike Cadden had stated that getting some comparable proposals was a good idea.
The elimination of our union and its associated problems has put us in a very good position right now. We have the opportunity to reduce the cost of running our community with little or no loss in services. Our biggest expense, next to payroll, has been the cost of Cadden-Ramirez’s services. By allowing the Board to contract with a less expensive management firm, outsourcing employees, contracting for garbage collection, and returning to individual water contracts with OOMAPAS, your association has the opportunity to begin operating within its budget and maybe even developing a surplus, which is a luxury we have not had for a long time.
The rumor around the neighborhood has been that we are dumping Cadden-Ramirez. What we are trying to do is get the same service for less money, which is an admirable goal. The Board is working diligently and with a degree of haste so we don’t have a gap in services.
Most of you have seen the “Just the Facts, Ma’am” and “Concerned Vecinos” e-mails which I feel certain are produced all or in part by Richard O’Brien. He recently lamented that there had been problems with the Board since 2001. For the record, Mr. O’Brien is a former association president who was voted out of office in 2001. I am sure Mr. O’Brien means well, but newcomers are probably not aware that he is the president who hired our first general manager and did so without the knowledge or authority of the association. I have never heard him be critical of his own acts. Point of view depends on whether you are pitching or catching, it seems.
There has been the threat of a lawsuit made by Wayne Speed and Jackie O’Brien if the Board contracts with a new management company. It is entirely within the Board’s capacity to make such a move on the community’s behalf. The Board was duly elected to serve the community’s needs and is concerned that further delay will result in an unnecessary loss of services. We will elect officers in May. If you want a change, do it the right way, by electing new representatives.
Be assured that the Board has the well-being of the entire community in mind. This has been an unusual year, but Las Conchas is in a position to emerge from our current situation in better fiscal shape than ever if the Board is allowed to pursue its goals.
Sincerely,
Norm Nelson
Director, District 3
