News - Local News

POSTED: Thursday, May. 28, 2009

Sudden Valley residents petition for removal of executive board members

SUDDEN VALLEY - More than 50 Sudden Valley residents have signed a petition seeking the recall of five executive board members of the community association.

The petition, which was presented to the board at a Monday, May 18, meeting, asks for the removal of board president Barbara Audley, vice president Curt Casey, treasurer Chuck McGroddy, secretary Naomi Bunis and past president Russ Harlan. The Sudden Valley board of directors has four non-executive board members who were not included in the recall.

Sudden Valley is not a city. It's a private community of about 5,000 residents run by the Sudden Valley Community Association and is funded by membership dues.

The recall comes shortly after a debate in late April, when the five executive board members rejected a request for a full investigation of accounting practices from 2005 to 2007. The audit request was made by three non-executive board members who said they felt their questions about the association's finances were not being answered.

Resident Yvette Bertram said the board's refusal to do an audit was one of the reasons she signed the petition.

"What could (an audit) possibly hurt?" she asked. "It seems like they're trying to avoid it."

Bertram was one of 55 community members who signed the petition.

That cleared the threshold of 50 signatures required to force a vote of association members. Only those who have paid all association dues are eligible to sign such a petition, association general manager Dave Wareing said.

Once the signatures are verified against association records, the petition will be checked to ensure it meets requirements of the association's by-laws as well the state's laws. If the petition meets the requirements, a special general meeting will be called within 60 days and a vote will determine whether the executive board members are recalled. All Sudden Valley community members who have paid their dues on time will be eligible to vote, Wareing said.

Secretary Naomi Bunis said she didn't understand the reasoning behind the petition but did not want to comment further.

"This is a politically charged situation, and I don't want to add to it," she said.

Voicemails seeking comment from other executive board members were not returned.

Many of those who signed the petition said they felt the executive board has been uncooperative with the community.

The executive board members don't listen to much input from the other board members, resident Scott Thiele said.

Those who oppose the board are called "troublemakers" and have been told to "sit down and be quiet" at board meetings, resident Connie Alderman said.

If it comes down to a vote and the board members are not removed, Alderman said she will to learn to live with it.

"I guess we'll have to accept it," she said. "But it doesn't mean we'll have to like it."