A Candidate's Perspective

Love Suissevale was born a couple of years ago out of frustration with the lack of communication and openness to new ideas and ways of thinking. I think its "born on day" may have been the first BOD meeting that my wife and I attended three years ago and watched as a few members tried to discuss alternative ways to handle the docks. These members were rudely shut down, the gavel was struck, and the President at the time Bob Ashton moved on to the next item.

Prior to the last two elections for BOD seats, there has rarely been any challengers to the incumbents. I also think at certain points BOD members have been appointed by the BOD and not actually elected by the members due to lack of interest in the community. Elections were a rubber stamp formality. Last year’s election may have been the first one that had other candidates challenging the incumbents. During that election the BOD’s president at the time Bob Ashton sent a letter to all Suissevale owners using association funds denouncing certain candidates. This year’s election has been even more contentious with current Treasurer John Barba denouncing certain candidates and calling them liars and trying to “overturn” the board in the Suissevale Newsletter. When I sent in an email requesting to have my rebuttal posted on the same platform in which I was called a liar, the email went unanswered.

Despite all the bickering and name calling from the opposition, the Love Suissevale group is growing and will continue to grow. As painful as it may be, it is having a positive influence on the community. The curtains are being pulled back and light is shining in areas that have been hidden for years, and some of the things coming out are difficult to swallow. I hope that the reason that there is not a 14’ x 28’ “Garage” built on the pristine waterfront near the Kayak racks is because most of the people surveyed by Love Suissevale thought it was a bad idea. There are other places to store a tractor than on land that blocks a million-dollar view.

The “this is the way it’s always been” argument does not work any longer and being told “if you do not like it leave” is not an option.

I have spent quite a bit of time researching the history of Suissevale, the past and present issues, reviewing policies (or lack of), the decision-making process, real estate transactions at the Registry of Deeds etc.… It is safe to say there is a lot of room for improvement and transparency. Being an eternal optimist, I know we can all work together to come up with policies and procedures that are inclusive and benefit all members of Suissevale.

One of the things that came out of some very heated Love Suissevale Facebook Group debate is the dissatisfaction with the way the “Crown Jewel” (The Docks) are being allocated and manipulated. The docks are a common asset of the community, yet not all members have an opportunity to get one since they are limited, nor are they generating income for the community to their potential. A discussion on this needs to take place with significant member input. I realize to some this thinking is considered offensive, and I guess that should be expected because change is difficult.

In summary, Love Suissevale is not going away and it is growing. We will not sling mud and will continue to provide facts. We do our best to fact check, and if we stub our toe, we are more than happy to have the record set straight. If you have a factual problem with anything that is posted, provide the facts and steer clear of the “liar liar pants of fire” response, because that does not set the record straight. All problems have solutions, the first step is realizing that there is a problem, and I think that step is nearing completion.

I truly hope you will consider voting for the Love Suissevale candidates in this election. We all share the same love for this community and are prepared to work our tails off promoting inclusiveness, transparency and increasing the value proposition of Suissevale ownership. As far as the spin doctors out there who do not agree with me, please try to focus your negative energy on creating solutions rather than tearing down the people that are trying to better the community. I have an open deck policy when I am up. Stop by and say “Hi” and we can have constructive dialog, I welcome your input.

Kind regards,

Jim Graham