SPAR revolt?

[buckethead]

Not bad for thirty seven. If I were 200 posts younger.....

[RiversideLoki]

I'm making up a batch of "Riverside - At least we aren't Springfield" bumper stickers.

[Johnny]

After following this thread, I'm left with the conclusion that people like to bitch...

Seriously, why is SPAR even that important? Start a new group if you are that freakin' concerned. Spend your time wisely, if you want to preserve houses, counter the emails from Louise by sending your own to Joel & his office or Gafney. Hell, write the newspaper and start a fund to save homes in the neighborhood. My guess is, most of you don't give a damn. It's just fun to bitch and act like 4 year olds. Woohoo! Rock on, I think I'm going to surf the other threads and call out newbies for talking too, that seems fun.

[Johnny]

I think you knew by page 2 they weren't.

[Sportmotor]

I'm making up a batch of "Riverside - At least we aren't Springfield" bumper stickers.

That is awsome

[strider]

What are the term limits, is anyone up for reelection etc?

Term limits......actually the by-laws state two , three year terms.  Which is why Louise had to be moved to the non-paying lifetime ED position to stay in control as she ran out of term.  Jack Meeks also had served the max 6 years, but some  unplublished Executive Committee rule was made up to say that after six years, you could start again after a one year (12 month) break.  Jack Meeks got re-appointed at 11 months.  So, term limits mean nothing when you don't bother to follow the by-laws anyway....

Also, a quick read of the by-laws will show that they do not have to bother with those pesky elections anymore anyway as the by-laws say elect or appoint now. Of course, there are conflicting passages in the current by-laws, but, as I mentioned above, they don't bother to follow them anyway, so.....

And this is important as SPAR Council is currently receiving some funding from LISC and so they could potentially control quite a bit of funding.....sort of like letting the foxes into the hen house.....

And remember, SPAR Council presents itself to the city as representing all of Springfield not just it's few paying members....

[sheclown]

Michael Trautmann ??   Seriously?? 

I refuse to support anyone who hires a lawyer to put me and mine out of business.

[sheclown]

Doug V. hands down

Dan, Alex, Phil C.,  (sort of a three musketeers)

I think Kevin Gay would run away at the mere mention of it.

[strider]

Pam Edwards had the job before.  She basically was Phil's “assistant director/ director in training” with HSCC prior to the merger and then took Phil's job for a short while after the merger.  I don't know if she would even want the job back....

The ED of a non-profit should make a salary and should be a hired employee and should not have voting privileges. This position needs to be fully accountable to the Board and full membership of the organization. With the current SPAR Council, we have an ED who doesn't make a salary, does have voting privileges and doesn't have to answer to anyone.

For the ED of SPAR Council or a new organization to have a reasonable salary, funding would have to be from say LISC or a city grant like it used to be.  Membership dues most likely would not cover it.  With SPAR Council at least, it seems like most of the private donation are specifically tied to a project or line item as that increased the value of tax benefit of  the donation to the donor.

[Springfield Girl]

1) Would I run any organization? H*ll no, I get bashed on a regular basis just for having an opinion as a resident. You couldn't pay me enough money and apparently that is a big part of the problem as I don't know too many people who would put up with all the crap Louise, the board and many others have taken for volunteering to try and make the neighborhood better. Are any of us perfect? No but we are doing the best we can, the best we know how. Haven't you guys ever heard the saying that you can't make everyone happy? SPAR is responding to what the majority of callers and residents are requesting. They can't read minds. If 50 people call and complain about an issue and 2 call supporting an opposite stance which side do you support when a compromise is not honored? This is how it works. There is a petition circling the neighborhood asking that zoning regulations be enforced and that no more boarding/halfway houses be allowed as that is what is stated in the overlay. There are hundreds of signatures on that petition. I am sure they are not all SPAR members but they ARE all residents and have written down addresses to prove it. Where are the hundreds of people saying they want more boarding/halfway houses? We have, it looks like, 4 people bashing SPAR regularly on these forums. Two own halfway houses and don't live in the neighborhood and one used to own investment property and doesn't live in the neighborhood. Why are these peoples word taken as gospel when true residents opinions are belittled and questioned? One had the nerve to question first time posters and discredit their opinions even thought they actually LIVE in the neighborhood, know the players and see what is happening on a daily basis. Why would anyone take time out of their busy day to continually post on a neighborhood thread when they don't even live here? Volunteer members of the SPAR board hold postions as well respected lawyers, accountants, medical professionals, city employees, teachers and fire rescue personnel to name a few. The only agenda we have is that we are residents of Springfield and we want our community to continue to thrive and grow and be a good place to call home and raise our families. So I would hope that people would talk to those involved instead of taking as truth the postings of a vocal few before denigrating and accusing.
2) Barbara is no longer on the board even though that was recently posted twice by one of the posters who continually accuses SPAR of lying. So is only SPAR held to the perfection standard? Why is it a misunderstanding or mistake when someone else states something incorrect but OMG, the volunteers at SPAR lied!
3) Many here have misstated the truth all the while calling SPAR liars and accusing them for everything that is wrong in the world. It has been insinuated many times that SPAR has torn down properties for the financial benefit from or by developers. Where is the proof? The lots on W. 7th were recently included as "proof" of this. Of the 4 lots in question, one parcel (a parking lot) was sold to SRG years ago as a vacant piece of land. Two of the properties are owned by Robert Phillip Neary. One of these had a house that sat empty and blighted for years and was finally taken down by property safety. The last parcel is listed as being owned by the Greene Sisters. I don't know for a fact but I was told that the property was taken back by the hard money lender and it was demo'd at her request by property safety. So the 4 parcels that it has been stated were torn down to be sold to SRG is not true. The only property owned by SRG has been owned for years and was vacant to begin with. Anyone can find this info by searching the property records at coj.net.  
4) Lisa Sheppard of the historic planning staff asked me to post that staff, the commission, GC and property safety are working together on a plan for neglected properties. No one wants the properties torn down but the plan is to no longer allow them to sit for years with no repairs or upkeep. Liens are working now on some owners but the new plans are to enforce compliance by imposing fines to be collected as traffic fines are now. If plans move forward negligent owners will face a judge and even possibly face a fine of as much as 30% of the value of the property if a structure is demolished by neglect or intent.
5) There are always two sides to a story and just because one doesn't take time away from their busy schedules and important work to post on a forum board doesn't change that fact.  I don't understand the complaints about SPAR volunteers not communicating. They send out emails, online and paper bulletins and newsletters. I do understand that younger people respond to FB, Twitter and the likes and I would love to see SPAR be able to do such things but again we are volunteers and have time constraints. I can barely get my paid job done now due to my neighborhood involvement. I can't speak for others but I would be glad to see someone step up and volunteer for technical duties. That would be a great step toward more communication.

[fsu813]

this is where Stephen makes some illogical, smart-alec remark that dismisses all your points.

[ChriswUfGator]

this is where Louise makes some illogical, smart-alec emails that dismiss all your points.

There I fixed that for you!           

[AlexS]

2) Barbara is no longer on the board even though that was recently posted twice by one of the posters who continually accuses SPAR of lying. So is only SPAR held to the perfection standard? Why is it a misunderstanding or mistake when someone else states something incorrect but OMG, the volunteers at SPAR lied!

I don't understand the complaints about SPAR volunteers not communicating. They send out emails, online and paper bulletins and newsletters. I do understand that younger people respond to FB, Twitter and the likes and I would love to see SPAR be able to do such things but again we are volunteers and have time constraints. I can barely get my paid job done now due to my neighborhood involvement. I can't speak for others but I would be glad to see someone step up and volunteer for technical duties. That would be a great step toward more communication.

Well, if Barbara is no longer on the board, maybe someone could update the SPAR web site so the rest of us know that too. On there she is still listed as Secretary. Without board minutes being published any more it's kind of hard to keep up.
http://sparcouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=6

I used to volunteer to help with technical aspects while on the board and afterward. I was the one posting the meeting agenda and meeting minutes on a regular base. But was told that the SPAR forum is "not an official enough medium" to disseminate "official" information. So now we get no more posted agenda and minutes at all.

I also was one of the SPAR forum Admins until recently when I have been demoted without any explanation given.

I do appreciate the many good things SPAR does. And no doubt there are good people on the board (like yourself) who want to do what's right. But with some of the actions from SPAR leadership it makes it really hard to remain exited to volunteer (for SPAR) or defend their actions.

[fsu813]

I'll take the good & "bad". the good far outwieghs anything negative that i've seen. that's for sure.

[Springfield Girl]

You will always have complaints no matter who is in charge. When I was looking to buy my house my husband and I walked out of the HSCC office and looked at each other like WTF? It was our first "official" stop in Springfield after many drive throughs and the selection of our future home. We got no information, no help and felt like we were being discouraged from buying our home.We blew it off, went forward with the purchase and later found and joined SPAR. Later we found out that our house had been involved in all sorts of drama, shady dealings, politics, investors and crazieness and a lot of people had wanted to get their hands on it. Actually many did as it was missing many of the interior and exterior features that were there when the National Trust took it on as a project. Just for the record, the person we spoke with was not Pam. I have always admired Pam and found her to be a fair, honorable person. link=topic=1911.msg105587#msg105587 date=1256309622]
Pam Edwards had the job before.  She basically was Phil's “assistant director/ director in training” with HSCC prior to the merger and then took Phil's job for a short while after the merger.  I don't know if she would even want the job back....

The ED of a non-profit should make a salary and should be a hired employee and should not have voting privileges. This position needs to be fully accountable to the Board and full membership of the organization. With the current SPAR Council, we have an ED who doesn't make a salary, does have voting privileges and doesn't have to answer to anyone.

For the ED of SPAR Council or a new organization to have a reasonable salary, funding would have to be from say LISC or a city grant like it used to be.  Membership dues most likely would not cover it.  With SPAR Council at least, it seems like most of the private donation are specifically tied to a project or line item as that increased the value of tax benefit of  the donation to the donor.
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