Who is Responsible and Why Haven’t They Been Held Accountable?
by Darcie Gore
The following email was sent to Glenbrooke Community Association Staff, Board Members, Pam at Riverside Management Company and ONE CALL NOW. I urge everyone to do the same. We have not been told the truth. Obviously, the call notification received by homeowners the day after the last Board Meeting was to take the pressure off after being asked why ONE CALL was not up and running; after 6 months. It was suppose to be simple to implement and "fully operational" by January 1, 2011.
It is time to demand accountability for the services (including salaries) which are paidfrom our dues. I will be the first to praise improvements, good service and competent employees. But this in beyond poor performance.
The ONE CALL NOW Power Point handout said " There is no charge for set up, training, technical support! and "Keep owners safe, secure, and well informed." Well, only if the system is fully operational so Who is Responsible? What is the hold up? These are the same questions asked BEFORE the January Board Meeting. Look at the response post dated January 10th addressing after hour accessibility. I also addressed these questions to the Board during open forum. The next day, residents received a call notification saying it was "activated."
February 2, 2011
TO: Glenbrooke Staff, Management Company, Board Members and ONE CALL
Regarding: Activation of ONE CALL in Glenbrooke
Once again, we had an incident that would have been nice to alert residents for their safety. The following post by Jeannine R. recounts the details that were very similar to the attempted burglary in early January. The homeowner was told after hour staff had no way to initiate the ONE CALL to alert neighbors!
Seriously, what is it going to take to get this system working properly? The token phone call the day after the last Board of Directors meeting will only buy so much time and that time is up. Is it going to take a burglary? Please God not someone opening the door and getting hurt!
Where is the problem?
Who is responsible?
Where are the policies?
How come after hour staff doesn’t know how to use it?
Why haven’t group leaders been trained or at least contacted?
Someone is not doing their job and I think the Community is owed answers or remove the system. As it is now, it is a liability.
THE INCIDENT
”I encountered a white male late teens, early twenties with backpack going back and forth crossing the Sheffield (east to west) about 5pm. I called out asked him if I could help him and he just stood still about and loitered on Chatsworth.
I called the police non-emergency line.
At the same time a gray van with all black tires was parked in the Sales Office parking lot (after office was closed).
I walked around the van, startled the two (Hispanic appearing) people were in it claiming to be eating dinner - showing me the fast food containers - I told them that they had been there long enough and it was time they moved on. And they did, very quickly.
Why my brain did not link the two - I can't tell ya. But the van was probably waiting on white guy w/ backpack. Peter and Nancy Gaffney were walking by at the same time and saw both - so they also "stared them down". I called the Arbour Lodge (One Call) and there is no way to send out an alert after full time staff leaves at 5pm. Emailed my neighborhood block Captain to.” Posted on GlenbrookeNews by Jeannine R.
Seems to me Jeannine did everything right. We were all told the ONE Call was "Activated" the day after the January Board Meeting. Resonable people would assume that meant operational. That was not completely true was it? Here is my responding post:
So, now we are into February and still DON"T have an effective way to alert our neighbors about potential safety issues. I suggest people start calling and emailing staff and Board members. What is it going to take to get the system WORKING? Group’s leaders have not even been notified of when training would be. WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS?
It is time for HONEST answers and a real timeline. D. Gore
I will be posting this on GlenbrookeNews so residents know exactly what is or is not happening.
I would appreciate some answers and will post any response received.
Darcie Gore
Oakham Way
LET'S STOP PASSING THE BUCK AND EITHER GET IT FULLY OPERATIONAL - OR SEND IT BACK!
20 Responses »
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So, first email back from Mina is an out of office response. "I am currently at a law conference and training from 2/1/11 to 2/4/11 with limited access to email. I will return your email by Monday, 2/7/11. If you need further assistance, please contact the Arbour Lodge Staff at 916-714-1010."
Second email response if from Pam at Riverside Mgt. also an out of office response "I will be out of the office for the CACM Legal Seminar until Monday, February 7, 2011. If you need immediate assistance please call my office for assistance at 916-740-2462. If not, I will get back to you when I return next week."
Board Member Mike St. Germaine email was returned. I will check tomorrow if there is a better email and resend.
Third email:
'Darci,
I would ask that you not post your announcement regarding the one call now system on the website. If you want to post something about the incident, that is entirely your call since the association has it's own site. I will discuss this issue with staff and the board. Thanks. Pamela
Sent from my iPhone"
My response to Pamela:
"Really, why wait?
We are the customers and have a right to know what is going on. Anyway it is too late, it is already posted.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?????
Since Mina was "waiting for Pam to get back from vacation" I assume you could answer that question.
I am not trying to cause trouble. I only want services and we have been promised and pay for IN ADVANCE.
If everyone would be truthful it would help resolve issues.
Darcie"
Well, I've written maybe three comments and deleted them all...you can be thankful for that at least.
Briefly.....I'll wager One Call in not operational. Easy to check out, ask staff to make a "test" call this morning. I have never thought it was simply because we were never given instructions as a community on how to use it. You have to remember there are maybe 500 people living in this community and would imagine half of them have already put that activation call on a back burner and many didn't even know what it was to begin with.
OH, forgot....Thanks Darcie.
Remember..."The flower may look different....but, the roots are the same". Never be misled by appearances.
From one of our resident Board Directors:
"Thanks Darcie, the situation is completely unacceptable. We were told that staff would be able to activate the system after hours and this is more that 4 weeks after we were supposed to be active. I will contact Mina and find out the whys and hopefully correct them before the day is over. I am thankful that we have such alert neighbors and are able to foresee some possibly dangerous situations.
I will let you know my progress.
Sebastian"
"Thanks so much for your prompt attention Sebastian we appreciate the many volunteer hours resident Board members contribute to our community. Darcie"
I agree with you completely Darcie, nothing happens around here until somebody like you is brave enough to speak out and ask why.
And they don't want the complaint about Call One on the website, why? What are they trying to hide? They don't want the Call One company to know how they have handled this? And why would they send all the key people to a seminar without having a back up that can handle things?
We have Management by Crisis. Don't take care of anything until it is in crisis mode. Until the people are up in arms.
And this is in no way saying anything against the "after hours" staff who are left in the dark the same as we are but also have to listen to some of us complain. I appreciate all they do filling in the after hours slots.
Again, thanks for speaking up for us, I know you take "lots of heat" for that but I appreciate all you do.
Darcie,
My reaction--One Call is a brand new system just being installed. Policies and procedures are being created to serve our specific needs. Training will be taking place soon for the leaders of the various groups. It seems a little unfair to me to unload on the staff or board when every circumstance can't necessarily be anticipated so early in the game;.
Obviously, a live person would need to send out a general alarm to everyone in the community regarding a security situation. Our monitors should be able to do this, I would think, once fully trained. Darcie, after 9pm, if you and other volunteers want to receive calls from concerned residents at any time of the night and agree to send out a general alarm, I imagine that could be done. However, as a resident, I am not interested in getting a call at 3am because some resident has heard an unusual noise. So I assume that a specific list of those wanting to be called after 9pm would have to be created.
What I am saying is that this system has multiple factors that need to be established in advance. If you would like to volunteer to be the primary after 9pm contact person for sending out emergency messages, please let us know. The second step would be to see who wants to contact the 340 homes for their specific permission to be contacted between 9pm and 7am.
In the meantime, I personally will check on what steps are being taken to get the monitors up to speed. In my view, a little patience would be in order to get all of this done right. Please let me know your response to the above.
Thanks.
Kent Sherwood
How much training, and how long a period of time is it going to take! If I'm not mistaken, weren't we told hundreds of associations have already implemented this One-Call System? Shouldn't the wrinkles have already been ironed out? I guess everyone is out training to pass the bar at their legal seminars!!!! So, is this system only going to be available during lodge hours?
Well, I certainly take issue with this statement. We were never advised of any of the above and if I'm not mistaken the Lodge closes at 5 p.m. on Sundays and on several holidays. All of the above circumstances were mentioned at the Communication Meeting in October and we were given assurances by Pamela that she was experienced in getting this up and running. With her experience she sold us on One Call, all of these so called problems should have been anticipated. We always get back to that old problem...COMMUNICATING, don't we? Had staff, BOD's and the Communications Committee relayed this information when numbers were activated we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Speaking of calls between 9 p.m. - 7 a.m. is nothing but a diversion from the problem at hand.
There were several comments early on about One Call on this web site which staff, BOD's and the Communication Committee read, but saw no need to address until it gets HOT. Why is that? We have an official web site that we pay for and could have been used in communicating the progress with One Call. Or better yet, have given us "complete" info in the Gazette that was just recently published and delivered to every home.
You may think it's unfair to unload on the staff & board, but I think it's unfair that staff & board didn't keep US
informed!
Personally, I could care less about having One Call., but was outvoted and that's OK too. Majority wins.
I still say Thank You Darcie....there are many of us that stand behind you. Someone who has given more to this community than anyone else I know and just keeps giving. I'll be the first to say that she bugs me sometimes, probably like I do her. That just makes it more interesting...nothing like a great debate.
Just received first call (One Call) 1:10 p.m.......didn't take long for Darcie to get a little action.
A quick update:
This has been a crazy morning. We have had numerous telephone calls, emails. Plus this “non-grandma” has had the pleasure of having tea parties and making play dough with my great neice –heaven – but I digress
Update:
1.) I have not had a chance to respond to Kent but will by the end of the day.
Representatives from ONE CALL NOW telephone and were concerned that I gave the impression it was their product that was not working. If they had read the entire article and checked the links it is clear that I have always said ONE CALL was activated the day after the board meeting. The questions I raise are still why are we not able to use this tool fully? Who is responsible for getting the policies in place? Where is the ball being dropped?
The same questions remain but at least we are talking about them and we may even be getting closer to answers.
We received a ONE CALL NOW notification that there is a Neighborhood Watch meeting scheduled for this Sunday February 6th at 1:00PM. All residents are welcomed. They will be discussing among other things solicitors, personal safety and the use of One Call Now for Watch purposes.
Sorry this updates are out of order but I am just getting through all the email.
===========
from Pamela Ciapessoni 10:34 AM (3 hours ago)
Call Mary while we are at the conference.
Sent from my iPad
Pamela sent this 3 hours ago:
======
Pamela Ciapessoni to me
10:38 AM (3 hours ago)
We are currently working on the details with the neighborhood watch leader, Mary Weatherhill.
Thank you.
Sent from my iPad
From ONE CALL NOW:
As CEO of One Call Now we stand ready, willing and able to assist with fullk and proper implementation of our service for the benefit of Glenbrooke residents.
Over 35,000 other organizations, schools, government agencies, religious institutions and homeowners associations use our service every day to protect, inform and engage their families.
This week alone, over 7 million messages were delivered as the largest ice storm ever recorded swept across the country.
The service IS simple; and has been set-up to use. but, several posters are correct; procedures and policies are essential to a satisfied community. Sending emergency messages at 3AM can do more harm than good if not handled correctly; and sending multiple messages a week can have the same impact as the story we all read as kids about the Boy Who Cried WOLF!".
I understand there is a meeting this coming weekend, on Feb 6th; we would be happy to have a technical or training representative available by conference call to assist in any way possible.
When Message Matter, we deliver.
Leib Lurie, CEO
cell: 937-875-0385
Leib.Lurie@onecallnow.com
Thanks for the clarifications and offer to help. That's an impressive number of messages in a week.
I know lots of us are expecting the system to improve communications substantially, once it's implemented.
Sure hate to miss this meeting, but it is Super Bowl Sunday. Not a good day for this bunch.
WOW!
Thanks for the update and of course we got the call notification of the meeting on Sunday so I hope people that have concerns about the use for Neighborhood Watch purposes will come to the meeting on Sunday.
Thanks for all your work,
Darcie
On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 2:56 PM, Sebastian Lampe wrote:
Darcie, Mary does have the authority and power to put out a one-call to residents. She has to screen the concerns before sending it out. Residents need to be made aware that these type of issues go to Mary and not the Lodge personnel. I will continue to pursue this.
Sebastian
Well, wouldn't it have been wonderful if this information had been communicated effectively, all inclusive, could have avoided all kinds of headaches.
Super Bowl Sunday...................Pittsburg or Green Bay?
I understand that Neighborhood Watch One Call notifications should go to Mary and not the Lodge Personnel, but if you informed the Lodge Personnel of that and somebody calls them they could direct the caller to Mary. It is the "not informing the Lodge Personnel" that caused some of the mix up this time, and they are often not informed of things they should be informed of, in my opinion.
And to answer Norma, from my Grandson, THE BEARS! He won't believe me that they are not in the Super Bowl and his daddy is from Chicago so he wants the Bears to win.
Kent requested I respond to his letter of this morning. Of course some of things have improved since then but here is my response to keep things in the open.
Kent
First thank you so much for your well thought out quick response and apologize for me taking the entire day before I responded. It has been a crazy day as you can well imagine.
To make sure I address all points, I will respond to the rest of your letter section by section to help me organize my thoughts. The black type is your thoughts or questions, the red is my response.
(color didn't work on posting I will try K and D)
K:My reaction--One Call is a brand new system just being installed.
D: ONE CALL NOW is not new; it is used in many places and boast how many HOA’s use it successfully.
K: Policies and procedures are being created to serve our specific needs.
D: We were told ONE CALL NOW (OCN) was used in many HOA’s so we only needed to “tweak” the P&P to our needs. OCN has offered to help with that as have I.
K: Training will be taking place soon for the leaders of the various groups.
D:The problem is we have heard this for months. What is the time frame?
K: It seems a little unfair to me to unload on the staff or board when every circumstance can't necessarily be anticipated so early in the game;
D: I respectfully disagree that it is “early on in the game.”
Obviously, I agree that we cannot anticipate every circumstance where ONC might be used. However, staff and Management Company told this community in July that it would be used for Neighborhood Watch, Association notifications, Clubs and Groups and that it might be needed after hours and on weekends.
So I don’t think they should be surprised by the normal procedures that need to be in place before being able to use OCN effectively. Prior to posting my opinion, on GlenbrookeNews, I have tried to get answers through phone calls emails, letters, and bringing these issues up to both the “communications committee” and Board of Directors. .
K:Obviously, a live person would need to send out a general alarm to everyone in the community regarding a security situation. Our monitors should be able to do this, I would think, once fully trained.
D: Again, why haven’t they been trained yet? Is training scheduled? When?
K: Darcie, after 9pm, if you and other volunteers want to receive calls from concerned residents at any time of the night and agree to send out a general alarm, I imagine that could be done. However, as a resident, I am not interested in getting a call at 3am because some resident has heard an unusual noise.
D: Neither am I; but that is why the policies should have been in place BEFORE activation and yes, I would volunteer to activate it if there was a life threatening emergency.
K: So I assume that a specific list of those wanting to be called after 9pm would have to be created.
D:Or it should be covered in training what is a true emergency (fire, evacuations, life threatening events). This is Exactly my point! What are the policies in other HOA’s and how do they avoid unnecessary calls? What are best practices? Let’s look at them.
K:What I am saying is that this system has multiple factors that need to be established in advance.
D: So true and the key word here is in ADVANCE. Since we are obviously past the ‘in advance’ stage,” I think the community deserves to know the training schedule and when the various functions of the OCN system will be useable. In my conversation with OCN today, it was very clear the product is fully operational. - the ball was dropped in the association’s court. I really don’t know if is management or staff but they should be held accountable to the members and Board of Directors.
In fairness to the current resident board members, you inherited this issue past the ‘in advance stage” since you and Sebastian only recently took office. But what about the other Board Members that have continued on the Board?
I can’t imagine a Board not expecting staff to be prepared before bringing a proposal (OCN, stripping the pickle ball court, funding new groups, etc) to the Board and having all the ‘ducks in a row” and the Board expecting full reporting of the implementation.
My main point is someone needs to take responsibility for this. Who is it?
K: If you would like to volunteer to be the primary after 9pm contact person for sending out emergency messages, please let us know.
D: Again, I have volunteered to help in anyway possible to get this running productively –a long ago. (emails available).
K: The second step would be to see who wants to contact the 340 homes for their specific permission to be contacted between 9pm and 7am.
D: That is one way and again, I will do that as well if that is what is determined is needed to get ONC totally usable for our neighborhood.
However, I would think a better solution would be that everyone would be notified of life threatening emergencies unless they have opted out – which of course they could do anytime.
Another option would be for the volunteers that deliver the Gazette to the 340 homes can leave a form with it to opt out.
K:In the meantime, I personally will check on what steps are being taken to get the monitors up to speed. . Please let me know your response to the above.
D:Responses above, thank you so much. I will look forward to more updates.
K: In my view, a little patience would be in order to get all of this done right. Please let me know your response to the above.
D: Since I have implemented many new programs covering in 6 counties, from the grant writing stage through providing the end services, I know there are many issues. My point is where is the planning? What is the timeline for training?
In my view, I have tried every alternative I could think of before posting and this is the first day I have received feedback that some of these questions are being addressed.
Call it the “straw the broke the camels back” in terms of my patience but really, why should it have to go this far before any movement is made or communicated?
K: Please let me know your response to the above: Here are my responses.
D: Kent, I really appreciate the dialog and Board Members and looking into this issue.
I love this community and will volunteer for whatever needs to be done to improve it and make it the best community bar none.
Darcie.
Thanks.
Darcie and Kent;
Thanks, Darcie for your persistence in this matter. Even when Kent uses all the politician's tricks of not answering or deflecting the blame to someone else, usually you. His attitude is so petty and transparent, LABOR/MANAGEMENT 101, it is insulting. When I was the CEO of a local labor union I ran into this kind of positioning all the time, especially if they were trying to hide something or the fact that they didn't understand what they were supposed to hide.
No business of any importance would put up with the crap they are trying to feed us through you. I commend you for staying with it but I think until we, the home owners, control the board we are going to lose.
Are we paying for their time to advance their "careers"?
Jay