United SaddleBrooke Board
The Opportunity:
You have a unique, vital opportunity to shape SaddleBrooke’s future by voting. SaddleBrooke One has three board openings, and SaddleBrooke TWO has two. Choose visionaries who will focus on community priorities and mutual commitment.
The Reciprocal Use Agreement (RUA) signed on Sept. 10, 2021, binds SaddleBrooke together as one community. Superseding the original RUA of Oct. 6, 1996, this RUA temporarily relieves all homeowners from the anxiety about reciprocity. But it only delays renegotiations until 2028. Either HOA could terminate the RUA, even before the renegotiation period. And if negotiations fail, then what? A community broken by broken promises.
Our RUA gives a false sense of oneness. It ends on Sept. 10, 2029. To be renewed as-is for five more years, both HOAs must agree by Sept. 10, 2028. It ends again in 2034 if either party backs out by Sept. 10, 2033. No provision stipulates reciprocity beyond 2034. Then what? Rift, confusion, and chaos—and banishment from or fees for amenities use of the sister HOA? The futures of both SaddleBrooke HOAs are threatened.
Many homeowners are unaware of the huge impact the agreement has, or even that the RUA exists. The RUA is weak, unstable, and vulnerable. Without it, SaddleBrooke homeowners lose the benefits of a single, unified community.
SaddleBrooke homeowners deserve maximum cooperation between the two HOA boards. The Boards’ Joint Statement (April 28, 2022) ends by proudly promising a framework for achieving maximum interdependence. Since then, very little has been done toward that great vision.
A Solution:
A forward-thinking solution is a homeowner-driven, community-minded, standing Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC), with homeowners from each HOA, to research, plan, and recommend a path forward. Plans may include combining committees and matching rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. This committee could also study and outline a potential merger between SaddleBrooke One and SaddleBrooke TWO. Such an LRPC is not just needed—it’s essential.
Hold both boards accountable to their commitment to guarantee “both communities will continue to function without interruption.” The concept is simple, the work complex, and the road challenging, but the vision is achievable. A joint LRPC requires measurable cooperation by both boards with rewards for homeowners: (1) restored confidence in the commitment to unity; (2) stabilized lifestyles; (3) ongoing discussions ensuring pride, ego, or selfish ambitions of dueling HOAs will never threaten access to all amenities; (4) the framework for board cooperation so proudly promoted in the current boards’ joint statement. Anything short of ongoing joint planning will perpetuate homeowners’ uncertainty and worry about open access to all of SaddleBrooke.
And what about future amenities and upgrades to existing facilities? What if homeowners want a multipurpose building, an indoor pool, or enlarged fitness centers? Do both HOAs share the building and maintenance costs, plus derived income? How do we fairly and equitably meet future needs? The boards need to discuss this now. By working towards one united SaddleBrooke, expanding current amenities and adding new facilities becomes realistic, straightforward, and streamlined.
Elect candidates with a vision that benefits all SaddleBrookers, candidates who will courageously ignore precedents and fulfill the joint statement’s declarations. This is the most important election in the history of SaddleBrooke. Educate yourself on the candidates and choose wisely when you vote.