There is an election in progress and residents by now have received their ballots and voting instructions which, by the way are a little tricky. For example if you sign your name on the smaller, inner envelope your vote will not be counted. But you MUST sign the outer, larger envelope for your vote to be counted.

The annual LSPOA meeting on August 8 is the deadline for voting and mailed ballots must be received by the 6th. To help acquaint members with the candidates' positions on the various issues all five will speak and answer questions this coming Monday night the 13th at the Community Center at 6:30.

I decided to ask each one if they would talk with me before then since I can't hear hardly at all in a crowded room and they all were very gracious sit down with me. It is not my purpose here to endorse a candidate nor to discuss their individual positions on things. Instead I wanted to learn their position on the issues and perhaps share a few general feelings that I have been picking up from our clients in real estate and property management.

One theme that most of these candidates perceived was a lack of interest from the membership ____ low meeting attendance, low vote counts, low turnout at sponsored events. More understandable for absentee owners of course but this connected with a concern I have been hearing from clients _____ a generalized sense that communication, true two-way communication, may need a fresh look by our new administration.

I recall one client saying it was top-down, meaning that she felt instructions seemed to be issued by LSPOA without encouraging response and input other than attending meetings. In other words we lack a format for feedback that is convenient for members who are busy with careers or family. In an age of social networking it might be time for government on all levels to follow the Obama internet model with email, blogs, and other electronic means of listening to the membership.

Two candidates volunteered that LSPOA could be made more approachable and open to our members as part of this effort. Good customer service is one important ingredient and most of the candidates agreed that our association should focus and train more on good customer service. A simple example is that it would be much nicer to dial the office and get a real person. Within three rings. One candidate said that if he wanted an automated operator he could dial any number of big corporations and get that treatment. But this is Lake Shastina. Population 2,400. Do we really need an automated operator in this setting?

Which tied in with a concern I wanted to share with each candidate. I am noticing a change in the tone of the community and most agreed. Each of them expressed that there are more young, working people than before, perhaps even the majority is not the retired population it once was.

Yet, with some working two or even more jobs to make ends meet in this depression we're in few if any have the time to be active in our association. At least in the traditional sense of going to meetings. From our business contacts Sally and I both sense a little unease with the relationship resident members feel with the association. Rather than general contentment there is a feeling some of them are off the radar.

I was also probing for listening skills because the tone of announcements and newspaper articles seems rather strident lately. If instead our association leadership used more of the carrot-and-stick approach, let's sit down for coffee, type of administration I suspect those members who now feel cautious might begin to approach the leadership and speak out more.

There also was much talk about rules and procedures. The majority of these candidates expressed concern in one way or another about the importance of abiding by established protocol. One man explained his conviction that without this awareness by directors their already limited time would be squandered on hopeless tasks.