Eastmangate

Here is an example of a major financial error contained in the package "Renovation, Expansion, Build New" that was mailed to Eastman owners. In Table 3: Summary of Operations and Maintenance Cost Impact for The Center, the current Operations & Maintenance Cost (for the Center) is listed as $125,322.

In the ECA Audit for FY2012 (online) on page 3  under the Category "Expenses", there is a line item called--The Center at Eastman. The "Operations Cost" for the Center is listed as $217,102. The same amount is listed in Schedule A of that Audit. On page 12 of this year's FY2015 Budget (online) there is the Category of Expenses under "Facilities and Grounds"; in that is found "The Center". The Center "Operating Expense" stated there for FY 2013 is $215,320 and the projected cost for FY2014 is $184,220. That number is particularly low for a cold winter and a 15% reduction in Center Operational Costs is amazing given the fact that our overall expenses exceeded budgeted expenses. In addition, further down the page is TC – “The Center” with $34,135 in expenses for FY 2013 and a projected $33,100 for FY 2014. To date I have been unable to get an explanation of these costs.

Clearly there is a gross understatement for the Operating Costs of the Center in the materials being distributed to Eastman members. Why would any governance member who respects the rights of members for open and transparent financials expect Eastman members to trust any governance financial document that governance refuses to explain or to provide the detail financials that created the Center Operating Cost??

 I could go on spelling out other errors in this and other documents, however the question is, is this a governance that members can hold accountable? When information flows one way top-down, and a request for an explanation is denied, is this a government for the people?

Is there no accountability on the part of members of our governance for information that governance members are distributing? Why are we not told who created it, what details and what assumptions went in to it?

I make every effort to respect people. For those in governance I expect governance members to be respectful of all Eastman Owners and to provide answers to reasonable questions particularly to a document that has been handed out to Eastman Members un-validated and unsubstantiated by independent parties. I would expect a response in 2-5 days, unfiltered. As we have documented in our Blog, some members of the Board and other governance individuals in this community have failed to be respectful of some community members’ rights.

The silence of other governance members as it pertains to attacks on any member’s civil rights enable those attacks to continue using Eastman stationery and Eastman channels of communication. We have therefore decided to publish Eastman facts on our Blog since members are unable to get those facts within the community.  Financial misinformation seems to be rampant which again we have documented in our blog.

Would you make a personal investment decision using such a document for your decision process? If you did I suspect you would not make the investment.

Many Eastman members are frustrated with this governance--perhaps you will join us in putting forth the total replacement of a governance that gives power to those at the top and demands compliance from those of us who pay the assessment bills.

Submitted by Robert Logan