Stonewood Board fails to fill vacancies, rebuffs the only qualified volunteer.

Since the February election, Stonewood HOA has continued operating with two vacant board seats. At the February meeting, the board could have openly discussed and voted on appointing volunteers to fill those vacancies. One homeowner, Janet Morris, an experienced HOA director, has shown up to multiple meetings and publicly affirmed that she is willing to serve. Despite that, no discussion or vote occurred.

Over the next three monthly meetings, homeowners repeatedly asked about the vacancies. Each time, President Rosy Fernandez claimed that additional members besides Janet Morris had volunteered to serve on the board. Rosy refused to identify any of these mysterious members and offered no explanation as to why none of them have been present at any of the monthly meetings. Rosy also explained that the board could not immediately act because some form of internal qualification or review process was taking place outside of the open meetings and needed time to “run its course” before appointments could be announced to the membership.

In February, members were told there were two volunteers. In March, members were told there were four. In April, Rosy denied previously stating there were four, but again claimed there are “several” members who have volunteered.

No one except Rosy knows who they are. To date, none of these alleged volunteers have publicly identified themselves at any meeting or openly confirmed an intention to serve on the board. Instead, members have been told the board is privately “qualifying” candidates through an internal process that has never been explained.

Meanwhile, Janet Morris continued attempting to get a clear answer from the board.

On May 6, the board sent Janet a short letter thanking her for volunteering but stating the board was “unable to offer a seat” at that time and that her name would be placed on a “volunteer list already in place for future consideration.”

The letter raised more questions than it answered.

What is this “volunteer list”? When was it created? Who is on it? What authority governs it? What criteria are being used to evaluate candidates? Why would a board with vacant seats decline to even openly discuss a willing volunteer with prior HOA leadership experience?

Janet responded on March 12 with a detailed written request for clarification. She pointed out that the board’s letter failed to explain whether her request had ever been formally considered, whether any vote occurred, or whether appointments were being discussed in open session at all.

She also noted the growing lack of transparency surrounding the vacancies, the unidentified volunteers repeatedly referenced at meetings, and what appeared to be an informal and undisclosed selection process occurring outside of open meetings.

To date, homeowners still have not received clear answers regarding:

• how many seats are officially vacant,

• who has volunteered,

• what process is being used,

• whether interviews are occurring,

• or when the board intends to publicly vote on appointments.

Instead, the association continues operating month after month with vacancies while members are told that some undisclosed process is quietly taking place behind the scenes.

One has to wonder how many more months the board will continue operating with two vacancies while at least one highly qualified volunteer is ignored and no one else publicly volunteers?