Candidates Night - Section #3

Jim Hannon: “Now for the Bonus Round – We will open it up to questions from the floor. Please bear in mind: these people are all volunteers. They do this willingly, and have not been coerced.  So, be nice to them."


Susie Combs:   "… Doc Norwood, what difference can you make in the next 3 years?”

Clinton Norwood:

“What difference can I make in the next 3 years? I don’t know if I can make any real difference. All I can do is hope that I can vote for the right people for the right thing. If I’m elected to the board, I’m one of 9 people. I would choose to vote for the rights things. And that is about all I can honestly tell you that I can do."
Benny Massey - wife of Director Ray Massey, President:
[- Paraphrased -] “Our committees do a great job. However, our community has changed. We no longer have the retired, volunteer force we’ve been fortunate to have in the past. Now we have young, working families with children, who do not have the time to donate to this community. The Beautification Committee has worked very hard. Can any of the candidates suggest a way to encourage POA members to become a viable resource for this community?”
Byron Efird

“Let me clarify. That did not come out right when I said that I did not like the entrance from the highway and all the way up the hill. The women do a fantastic job. The shrubbery looks wonderful as you come in. But, that is not the only thing that it needs. The split-rail fence, as you are coming in, by the pond, looks ugly when you are driving down the highway. The ponds are beautiful. The golf course is beautiful. Rick (Community Standards Committee Chairman, Rick Noffsinger) does a very good job. He has mentioned this before. The side of that hill needs to be cut. It needs to look good all the way down. If that is our split-rail fence, it needs to be maintained. Now when you come in the gate, yes, the shrubs are beautiful. But, as you get through the gate, the pot holes get you. And you are going up the road, (bouncing). Than you look at the side of the hill right here (pointing behind him). You would think that all the way up the hill would be manicured and beautiful. But, if you look right here on the side of the hill, it ain’t been mowed all year. It is probably waist high right now. It don’t look good.

My other concern, when I drove through the clubhouse, last week, it ain’t been mowed here in a couple weeks. Than, they mowed it, yesterday. But, they didn’t weed-eat. Than, on the other side, between the POA office and the cart shed, the big shrubs… everything needs to be manicured. This is a million dollar facility, and we need to treat it like one. It don’t look up to par. That is what I was saying. I’m sorry if any of you ladies out there… I know you all work hard. Char was over there, Monday. She couldn’t even play golf because she had been working all day. She was sweaty, and hot. We appreciate you all."
JoAnn Rhodes

“I would like to say something. I left to go to Dallas, Monday morning, and Mike was out there mowing the yard. When I came back, OH, my gosh! In the 4 days I’d been gone the grass had grown a foot. So, even when it is mowed… With the humidity in Arkansas it is just going to grow back. We reduced Eddie’s staff. I think is what they did. And Security. They do not have the help that they need. So, we do have to volunteer. Some people are just tired of volunteering."

"I also want to respond to Charlie. In August, they always have sign up sheets. When Mike and I first got here, that first year, we volunteered for the golf committee. We got a phone call about a week later saying, ‘Thanks but, no thanks. We don’t need you. We only have certain people that are on the golf committee.’ So, it really hurt. We thought we would just not do anything. Until a few years later, when we got to know more people, we did not volunteer. Because, it was the: ‘Thanks, but, no thanks’. Volunteers don’t get a lot of ‘Thanks’ around here.” [Paraphrased]

Question from POA member, Natalie: [paraphrased]
“Is there anything that can be done regarding the Marina? We are paying rent to keep our boat docked at the Marina. The chain across the parking lot forces us to walk a long distance to get to our boat.”
Ray Massey and Darrel Allison stated that the property known as “The Marina” has never been a part of Diamondhead. The current owner has placed a wire barricade to keep people off his property. Mr. Allison stated that foreclosure on the property will be completed in October of 2010.

Byron Efird

“We need our own boat ramp, than. Hopefully, one of these days we can correct that. Sorry.”
Cindy Efird - wife of Byron Efird:  “I have a question for Byron Efird. (laughter) Do you think you can provide for this community the same as you did for Magnet Cove?”
Byron Efird

'I had on goal in mind when I was the mayor of Magnet Cove from ’02-’05. The main goal [was to pave 2 roads] before I leave office. We paved our last road in Magnet Cove. All roads in our city was paved. And there is ways to get money from the county to help with the roads. (people respond “not here”) I know you all say that."
Bob Jones, Roads Committee Chairman: “Byron, I would be interested to hear how you can get money for the roads. Please, let me know.”
Jim Hannon

“Next customer. Don’t be bashful.”

Sandra Shipp – wife of Director Terry Shipp: “This if for Charlie Wood. When we bought property we knew that part of our dues would be going toward the golf course. Can you tell me why everybody calls it a subsidy? Is it not part of our dues, money that goes toward the golf course? How do you feel about it?”

Charles Wood

“Roughly 20% of your dues, and our dues, those of us that don’t play golf, even, go to the golf course. And that is in addition to your golf fees. [The golf fees] cover about a third of what it costs to operate the golf course, and the rest of us are subsidizing you.”

Sandra Shipp:  “That is what I am saying. Why would you consider ‘subsidy’ when that was part of the POA dues when you joined out here.”

Charles Wood

"Well, it got to be too large a portion. When the subsidy for golf and the subsidy for roads are equal, I’ll be happy. But, I haven’t seen it come close, lately."

Sandra Shipp:  “I just don’t think it is really a subsidy. I think that is just part of our dues."

Another POA member: “You kind of knew that when you bought your property.”
Charles Wood

"We did not know it was going to cost us 200,000.00 dollars a year."

POA member: “I just wonder [paraphrasing] what is the purpose for purchasing a non-buildable lot, and paying dues on it in order to play golf out here. If you are saying it will be $20.00 to play golf out here whether you are a property owner out here or not, what is the reason for purchasing a lot and paying dues on it? So, how do we get new lot owners of non-buildable lots? Does anybody have any ideas about that?”

Byron Efird

I do, again. Sorry. The homeowner property owners pay 845.00 dollars. The lot owners pay 545.00 dollars. Back in the 70s this might have been a good thing. Everybody was looking for gated communities. They were willing to pay the 545 dollars, or 400 dollars back than, or whatever it was. But now, with so many gated communities out there, and the economy the way that it is. The lot owners don’t want to pay 545 dollars a year. It ain’t worth it to them. So, we just keep on keeping all these lots in our inventory. It don’t make any sense. A little bit is better than nothin’. It is where I come from. So, why are we making these people pay 545 dollars? Why don’t we cheapen the lots? They are not going to build on it. 400 dollars to me would be a whole lot better than not getting nothin’. Or, if you cut it in half, it’s better than not getting nothin’. I don’t mind paying my homeowner’s dues. But, if I was a lot owner, and I had it for 20 years, I might do the same thing. ‘Here you are, have it back.’ Maybe we need to think about this. That is an option for us, to cheapen these rates. To get more lot owners out here. That might entice other new people to come and say ‘Well, lets move out here and try it.’
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Closing Remarks

Byron Efird

"I hope, with the questions asked… I’ve tried to talk about different things. We are not the only gated community with problems. [Paraphrased] Hot Springs Village is as bad as we are about getting lots back and a lot of lots in inventory. That is a major issue.

Money takes care of everything. Hopefully, in the next three years I will be able to get more money for Diamondhead. That is my main goal. It was my goal when I was in Magnet. How do we get the money to do this, and how do we get the money to do that?

I worked with Todd a couple of weeks ago. Now, we are in the Sisterhood of golf courses. This includes 10 golf courses that you can go and play another golf course, and they can come play ours with cart fee. And it gives you an added benefit of being a Diamondhead member. Because you can go play Country Club of Arkansas, Gray Stone, different courses out there. It is a good thing. What it is going to do for us is, when these people come from these different golf courses, they are going to discover that they have never seen before. They will come in and say, ‘man, I like it here.” So, maybe they are future home owners, or future property owners, hopefully.

Me and Cindy have been here for a year. I wish we had been here a lot longer. Wrong school district. We love it here."
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JoAnn Rhodes

"I am so glad this is over. Everybody that knows me knows that I am blunt. You ask me a question and I will tell you what I am going to do. I my opinion. And that is my opinion. You may not like it, so don’t ask. My phone number, my address, my email address, my cell phone number is out there and no body has asked me anything in the months that I have been running for the board. I’m there, if you want to ask questions. You may not like the answer, and that’s okay. You may convince me that I am wrong. We’ve lived here for 8 years, and, I’m sure, if Mike has his way, we are going to be here for the rest of our lives."
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Clinton Norwood
"I am at a loss for words. I can’t tell you anything that is going to happen. All I know is that I’d like to see a lot more harmony amongst both sides, and also the employees."
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Charles Wood

"I was told the bar would be open after this…"  (laughter)
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Jim Hannon

"That was my last line on the agenda. (laughter) I hope everybody asked the questions they wanted to and found out what they wanted to. Thanks for coming. Thanks for your interest. Please vote for the candidates of your choice."