HOA Advisory Board to Become “Watch Dogs”

The Rancho El Dorado “Advisory Board,” a group of Rancho El Dorado residents who organized with the intent of advising the development’s Homeowners Association (HOA), met for the last time today.

The Board had no formal standing with the HOA and was led by John Twarog and included Shelley Gillespie, Richard Jackson and Bill Smale as “directors.” It originally met monthly though this summer the frequency was lessened to quarterly as the group’s attendance and impact waned. Today’s meeting was attended by nine people, seven of whom were there in an official capacity (e.g. media, directors, guest speakers).

The Board reviewed items that were covered at Thursday’s “town hall” meeting hosted by the Rancho El Dorado HOA and its management company, Associated Asset Management. Topics of discussion were the familiar cracking sidewalks, overnight parking, management communication, speed limits, signage, recycling and vendor contracts.

In discussing their efforts to obtain copies of the HOA’s contracts with Waste Management and Orbitel Communications, Mr. Twarog’s comments were symbolic of the tone of this and previous meeting. He said, “Up to this point in time we’ve been ignored… and we’re paying these people.”

Referring to Rancho El Dorado Parkway during “rush hour,” Mr. Twarog complained “nobody wants to go 25 miles per hour.” Councilman Will Dunn found humor in the statement saying “I can’t believe we’re talking about rush hour traffic in Maricopa… I’m sorry, but that’s funny!” Councilman Dunn was present at the Board’s invitation to promote his efforts to revitalize “downtown” Maricopa.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Twarog acknowledged “there is some redundancy” between the HOA Board and Advisory Board and gave notice of Advisory Board members’ future direction saying “We will be, in effect, the watch dogs.”