Trash Services Canceled 1/3/22

I read Excelsior's post as a suggestion for Capricorn1964 to volunteer in one of those positions.

 

Are you willing to hire a sign language interpreter for each and every one of the HOA meetings? Remember, I am unable to follow the conversations at the HOA meetings. So I am UNABLE to participate UNLESS you can afford a sign language interpreter at the meetings to help me "follow" and "understand" what is being said at the meetings. Until then, I am not going to be able to participate and/or understand what is being said at the HOA meetings. MOST HOAs cannot afford this expense so I ask you to be more understanding that I may have to make an assumption because Im unable to attend these meetings.

If you aren't understanding of my situation, then you need to educate yourself why Deaf people need auxiliary aids to help them understand the conversations. I hope one day that when you no longer hear so well, you'll have to go through the same frustration in group settings (meetings, actually) that I go through on a DAILY basis. Thankfully, my company is rather large enough that they give me the accessibility tools to help me communicate with groups of people.

I understand that HOA is too small to provide me with the same level of communication needs that I need so Im not going to EVEN ask the HOA for that accessibility need so I stay home instead and have to make assumptions on my own. Im allowed to make assumptions and communicate what I think until then. Freedom of speech is allowing me to think aloud what I think MAY be happening here. If you want to be part of the solution to this issue I have with HOA communications, I welcome it.

 

VaCliff-

Understood and maybe I was a bit too hasty in my comments but after dealing with what happened with the turning over the bin and the failure to pick up trees--I remarked what it was but I remember you put it out there that the HOA was going to re-compete the trash contract because of what transpired at the staff meeting, right?

Ive copied and pasted what you had stated in an earlier transaction a few months ago so when you said "We will be putting trash contract out for bid"...I assumed that you weren't happy with the owner's input at the meeting as you stated below that some of the "Board members had some examples where this did not appear to be true." Im confused now that the Board is happy with Patriot yet you posted the comments below.... Can you shed more light on how they were able to win the re-compete on the contract when such a comment below was stated? I do know that I am NOT the only resident that was not 100% satisfied with the trash company. To me, Im roughly 85% happy with them ...but not 100%. I'd venture out there that they were cheaper than the other companies? No? I could be wrong......

Post by VACliff on August 23, 2021:
Owner of Patriot attended a meeting.
The long and short of it is that they claimed to be following their contracted requirements. Board members had some examples where this did not appear to be true.
From this point forward, I suggest any resident that does not believe their trash is not being picked up, and should be, please contact Greg HOA office.
We will be putting our trash contract out for bid.

vacliff, Aug 23, 2021Report
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I would LOVE to volunteer to help the HOA out in this capacity but as a Deaf guy, how can I follow the meetings when everyone is talking back and forth? Its very time-consuming and difficult for me to lipread everyone's lips. I work well one-on-one meetings but group meetings? That would be beyond my scope and to be honest, my eyes get super tired at the end of the day after trying to lip-read people's lips in a group meeting. My company provides me with interpreters for group meetings but the HOA cannot afford interpreters since they have a very small budget and not a government contractor (Fed laws mandate that fed contractors absorb the costs since they make MILLIONS if not billions of dollars in revenues).

If I was born hearing, I would have jumped in and rolled up my sleeves to help the HOA out but Im afraid that I would only be a hinderance to the HOA and been more a thorn to some of the HOA members due to not being able to follow the conversations...

But thank you for the thought and request that I get involved. Means a lot though.

I want to add one thing: The HOA and the Board both are excellent people and they go to the extra mile to do great things for the community and I can attest that this is one of the BEST HOAs that I've lived in the last 30+ years Ive lived in Northern Virginia. These guys are the most honest and straight up folks that Ive dealt with. Now, from time to time, I do disagree and share my thoughts (good and bad) but in no way do my negative comments negate what they do on a daily/monthly basis with the HOA. They are doing the best they can and I wish I could help out but my disability prevents me from doing so along with not being able to sit in the monthly meetings as the communication is too difficult for me. Id rather be honest rather than BS my way through it all and then looking like a fool pretending I understand what is being said when in reality I don't.

I hope you all don't judge me harshly here after being honest here.

 

Cap-
To sum it up briefly, Patriot owner was not aware of commitments that his Company representatives had made.
This was clarified and clearly spelled out and understood by them with the new contract. Based on that and previous years of good service and comparing cost to other bids, we renewed with Patriot.

 

Cliff- thanks for taking the time to further clarify what transpired- totally respect what the board has done- and I have no issues with you guys renewing the contract-

However, I am befuddled as to how an owner of a company NOT be aware of the commitments that his representatives have been making on his behalf? Just am surprised about that and am hoping that HOA deals with him directly going forward instead of his representatives as I wouldn’t trust his representatives going forward when they haven’t been totally transparent with him-

I hope HOA will be taken care of by owner himself and that he addresses any issues going forward until the trust can be built by the representatives with HOA.

Thanks for being clear and I better understand now what happened and here’s hoping it won’t happen again!

All the best to you, Cliff-