One of the oldest debates between governors and the governed is a real or perceived lack of communication, or transparency.
In big cities, small towns, farming communities, neighborhoods and organizations, there are frequent criticisms and complaints by the governed that the governors and leaders aren’t transparent enough, available enough, or responsive enough.
An active adult community like Sun City is no exception to this, and in many cases is an especially relevant example of it.
Between 25 and 50 residents typically attend the monthly board meetings in Drendel Ballroom; attendance may increase sometimes when a particular group or controversial issue is on the agenda. It is also widely agreed that the vast majority of residents don’t come to Sun City for the purpose of closely monitoring board of directors meetings or activities. Many other recreational, social, and entertainment activities claim their attention.
Drawing particular criticism is the board’s policy of not responding at the meeting to resident questions or comments, but promising a response later. Residents often complain that responses are delayed or never occur.
On February 28, at its monthly meeting, the board decided to try and do something about these situations. It unanimously agreed to form a special ad hoc committee to develop some recommendations by this fall to improve its communications with residents. The size of the committee will be determined on or about April 15, at the deadline for applications.
The committee is expected to hold its first meeting in early May. It will be asked to submit its initial report in late June or no later than July 1.
“We’ve received a lot of complaints in recent months about our communication to residents,” said Dennis O’Leary, board president. “Some of us on the board decided to address the issue. Communication is a two-way street, so we decided to form a committee of residents and get some feedback on how we can improve our communications. We hope that some of our critics will volunteer to serve on it. We’re open to new ideas and approaches. We’re looking for answers to two main questions, what should we be communicating, and what tools should we use.”
On March 30, O’Leary told the Sun Day that four applications for the committee had been received by the management staff.
“The number of committee members will be determined primarily by how many applications we receive,” he said. “This is an ad hoc committee that will be active for a few months.”
