How the grinch stole thanksgiving (and a board seat)

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SUMMARY

The President of the HOA (Jeff Hackworth); and two others on the HOA’s Board of Directors (Robert Garrett and Stephen Smalley) had Inger-Berit Eilertsen (“Bibbi”) removed from the Board at the second of two (2) Special Meetings, the first being held just before and the second during the Thanksgiving Holiday. Based on the timing of the two Special Meetings; and comments by Robert and Jeff, it is clear that these three Board members hatched a scheme to remove Bibbi, without a vote of, or a chance for input from homeowners, in order for Jeff to keep his “majority voting block”, (three out of five Board Members). Here is the timeline:

· Robert’s term on the Board was expiring and a new candidate would be elected on December 10th.

· Paul Maner was running for the open Board seat, and considered a strong candidate to win the seat. 

· Once elected – Paul along with Jim Robertson and Bibbi would then have the “majority voting block”.

· Paul, Jim and Bibbi would serve to improve our community; while fostering engagement and transparency, which is completely opposite of how Jeff, Robert and Stephen have run the Board.

· The scheme emerges: Change bylaws to ensure Jeff retains the majority votes on the Board; by kicking Bibbi off the Board.

· Replace Bibbi with someone Jeff appoints (someone from his gated community)

· Jeff has a history of scheming to “appoint” Board members. He solicited a former Board member, Mike Harris, who wanted to serve one term, to go ahead and run for a second term, then resign, so that he (Jeff) could appoint a new Board member in his place, rather than allowing for a fair and transparent election. Bibbi was running for that open seat.

· Now, with only weeks left before a new Board member is elected (December 10); and during the Thanksgiving Holiday, Jeff calls for two (2) Special Meetings for the sole purpose of removing Bibbi. They are held within a week of each other, in order to beat the clock, before Paul is elected to the Board.

· On November 25, 2024 Jeff, Robert and Stephen vote to approve a bylaw change to kick a board member off the Board.

· On November 30, 2024, just five days later, these three (Jeff, Robert and Stephen) in a zoom meeting, with no opportunity for members to comment, kick Bibbi off the Board.

Please plan on attending the Annual Meeting, if or when they finally announce one, so we can share our outrage for this shameful debacle, and other unethical endeavors by the Board, and to demand Jeff’s resignation.

What follows is a detailed account of the timeline and circumstances surrounding Bibbi’s removal from the Board.

To read the complete article, please click here.