Simply click on highlighted text for the rest of the story!

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF COTO! - – Soon the be officially known as RSM South, the place formerly known as Coto de Caza. In the September issue of the CZ Master Association President’s Letter, The board of director’s president Bob Varo writes   “…But I have to tell you, ….I would be hard pressed to oppose becoming a part of Rancho, if they would have us”. 

THE CITY OF COTO - Why Coto residents choose to live in Coto.  Maximize the investment, by buying property in an exclusive gated community.  A change in the status of Coto as a gated exclusively private community would have degrading effects on property values. 

CITY OF COTO - CEASE AND DESIST PETITION -  Given that since allegations regarding a movement to turn Coto into a city first surfaced, and these  were emphatically refuted by Mr. Varo (see below quotes from the CotoBuzz Newsletter), only to have him confirm  in the September issue of the CZ Master Association President’s Letter that “I have to tell you….I would be hard pressed to oppose becoming part of Rancho"

CZ MASTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS ATTENDANCE RECORDS - Hello All: Attached is the shocking, authoritative record of CZ Board Member meeting attendance, since each took office, finally provided by Keystone and verified by Joe Bower. 

CZ MASTER RUMORS AND NEGATIVISM -   In the September issue of the CZ Master Association Letter, the Keystone GM writes “The Internet has become a fast and simple way to communicate.  Anyone can create web pages and mass email lists to inform or to spread rumors, half-truths and negativism....

COMMON INTEREST DEVELOPMENT (CID)/HOA PENDING  LEGISLATION BRIEF - Send Letters to your local elected officials making it clear you support this legislation, if you do not want to have Coto become RSM South!

COTO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT RATE UPDATE  

NEWSFLASH:  CZ BOD IS A VERY GOOD BOARD -  HONEST LYLE -= According to the August 12, 2005 issue of CanyonLife, Unfair and Un-balanced coverage, by a self-described accomplished journalist, trying to pass as an intern, or not the brightest candle in the in the cake, an interview with the newest member of the CZ Board of Director,

A CANYONLIFE SPECIAL - HONEST LYLE -  The CanyonLife issue of August 12, 2005 quotes Lyle as saying “…I stake my reputation on honesty, and I believe that a community is as good as the residents who love there”.  If the quote is accurate, we are extremely delighted.   

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY TEST - if you pass, and you are not a Coto resident, you get a free 24 hour pass.

KLOGGED KLUG'S QUEUE - CotoBuzz will be publishing a monthly  list containing items the new CZ General Manager  has failed to provide an acceptable response  or take action on:  

COMPELLING OFFER AND PROGRAM FROM COTOVOICE - QUESTION:  What do you get for CotoVoice CZ Association subsidy?

Demystifying all those acronyms used by your property manager: CCAM^® Certification Requirements and Qualifications

BRINGING DOWN THE EVIL TWINS -  Is this not ironic that in a state that has pioneered the practice of direct government, the CZ Master Association still practices banana republic electoral processes?  For example, a district delegate refuses to disclose to a resident in his district how he voted in the last election!

COTO DISCUSSION FORUM - For exclusive use of Coto residents.  Residency is verified.

COTO MAILING LIST - Sign up to receive your monthly issue of CotoBuzz - available free to qualified subscribers, including residents of the Canyons and service providers.

NEWSFLASH!  CZ BOD IS A VERY GOOD BOARD!   According to the August 12, 2005 issue of CanyonLife, Unfair and Un-balanced coverage, by a self-described accomplished journalist, trying to pass as an intern, or not the brightest candle in the in the cake, an interview with the newest member of the CZ Board of Director, who happened to get the seat vacated hours after Sean Larkin was re-elected, otherwise known as the CZ BOD Hit and Run.

CANYONLIFE:  How does it feel to be back on the board?

LYLE:  I’m exited about it.  I think this is a very good board.  I believe in them.

COTOBUZZ:  …even though later Lyle admits that Sean Larkin  and Mitch Hill do  not participate as much they should have…..

CANYONLIFE:  How did you get involved in the board?

LYLE:  …..There are other people in the community who think this was all planned out and done long before Sean resigned and left……I stake my reputation on honesty, and I believe that a community is as good as the residents who love there

COTOBUZZ:  By July 15, 2005 we all knew that Lyle had been anointed.  On July 15, the CZ GM sent out invitations for volunteers to the board.  The GM himself in writing, indicated that no one had been appointed.  Given that Lyle stakes his reputation on honesty, we must assume that the GM is ignorant of association issues, or he is lying, or there was a cover up and Lyle is not up to speed on association issues?  Or....?

CANYONLIFE:  What changes would you like to see in Coto?

LYLE:  I believe we are headed in the right direction. “I’d like to see security be tighter in such a large gated community.  I think we’re moving in that direction by hiring a new security company.

COTOBUZZ: mmmmm...is this not an oxymoron?   First the current board fires the CHP without apparent due diligence, and the traffic accident rate within Coto doubles every year.  Then, inexplicably, the board fires the largest security company in the world, without apparent due diligence, and then replaces it with one of the smallest security companies in the regions....how is this that the security will be tighter again?

CANYONLIFE:  What are the challenges you see facing Coto de Caza?

LYLE – Hot Rod Enthusiast:  Traffic Control.  There are too many people driving ridiculous speeds because there is no police enforcement….I blame that a lot on soccer moms.

COTOBUZZ:  You mean, not teenagers, drunk driving,  hot rod enthusiasts, or driving under the influence, but Coto Soccer Moms?  THIS IS A JOKE, RIGHT?  Or,   The Evolution Vs. Creation debate is on again.  Bob Varo blames it on ‘evolution”.  Lyle believes it is “created” by soccer moms.  Not the bad history of gate runners as the GM previously proclaimed in  the CZ Master Association Newsletter - go figure!.

ANOTHER CANYONLIFE SPECIAL - Honest Lyle - The CanyonLife issue of August 12, 2005 quotes Lyle as saying “…I stake my reputation on honesty, and I believe that a community is as good as the residents who love there”.  If the quote is accurate, we are extremely delighted.   As a point of reference, The American Heritage® Dictionary  Published by Houghton Mifflin Company defines honest as Marked by or displaying integrity;  Not deceptive or fraudulent; Equitable; fair.

1.   So, if indeed Lyle stakes his reputation on honesty, it is fair to say that he knew of his appointment to the board, on or before we found out.....which is before the GM sent invitations to fill that seat.  So, the question is?

Was it honest for the board to send out invitations to other residents after Lyle knew he was appointed to the board?  Was it fair to deny the independent candidate a seat?

2.  Regarding security, the CanyonLyfe quotes Lyle as saying  “I believe we are headed in the right direction. I’d like to see security be tighter in such a large gated community.  I think we’re moving in that direction by hiring a new security company”

As CotoBuzz readers know, the current board fired the CHP as a practice traffic enforcement provider with no apparent due diligence.  Then fires the largest security company in the world, and replaces it with one of the smallest security companies in the region.  The president of the board claimed to have received a compelling offer and program.  The Keystone general manager followed up by stating that he had received six competing bids.  However, an audit team found no evidence of bid requests, no competing bids, no compelling offer and program, and no general manager!

Further, as  we all now know, immediately after UPS was selected, and without previous notice to residents, a partner in the new company who just happens to be a resident of the community, visited the current security gates to recruit existing personnel, at midnight.    Was this an honest action on the part of the board, the GM and UPS?

CotoBuzz does not question Lyle’s sincerity when he says he stakes his reputation on honesty.  However, if he is sincere and he continues to assert  that the handling of the Hit and Run, which essentially denied an independent candidate to the board a legitimate seat, and the selection of UPS as a viable security company are  honest actions, then we have to conclude that he is sincerely wrong!

In such case, Lyle’s definition of Honest is similar to Varo's definition of “a compelling offer and program” – simply a figment of their imagination!

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF COTO – Soon the be officially known as RSM South, the place formerly known as Coto de Caza.

In the September issue of the CZ Master Association President’s Letter, The board of director’s president Bob Varo writes   “…But I have to tell you, ….I would be hard pressed to oppose becoming a part of Rancho, if they would have us”.  His main reason in part is that “we could hire our own Sheriff’s deputies and at the same time become a part of Rancho’s sphere of influence”.  Of course he does not tell residents that he was instrumental in directly firing the CHP, without any reasonable due diligence.  Since then, the accident rate within Coto has doubled every year!  Obviously since the CZ BOD directly fired the CHP, they could directly hire it back!

But we digress, our first reaction to the CZ Presidents promise was one of “who cares”!  The City Hood issue comes up during every other CZ board of Directors and it is always defeated.  Also, we know that Bob Varo is infamous for raising expectations, over promising and under-0delivering.  For example, recently he promised a compelling offer and program as a decision driver to fire the largest security company in the world, and replacing it with arguably the smallest company in the region.  Keystone Pacific’s CZ General Manager for the CZ Association claimed to have received six competing bids in response to a bid request for a reduced level of security services.  Later Bob Varo added “fashion and demeanor” to the compelling offer and program.  It turns out that when a team scheduled an audit with Keystone Pacific’s CZ General Manager for the CZ Association, the GM was nowhere to be found.   The team also found no traces of a bid request, no traces of competing bids, and no traces of compelling offer and program.    What about the fashion?  The fashion is not Christian Dior.  The fashion is not Versace, Trelise Cooper, Clare Coulson nor Renate Beaumont.  In fact, the new security company’s fashion looks more like nouveaux CALTRANS!  The demeanor however is indeed something else.  As a Coto Discussion Reader writes “ I had the same experience at the South gate last night. I had put my brother-in-law on my temporary guest list for a seven-day pass. When he got to the gate, the girl did not know how to access my guest list and had no clue what she was supposed to do. Fortunately, my wife was in the car and got my guests into Coto. I had to go back to the West gate myself this morning and get the pass for them”

Just last year, CotoBuzz run the following comments:  “ Who will be the next Coto City Mayor?  Following up on Mr. Bower's letter, we have received unsubstantiated reports that a CZ board insider with aspirations of being the first Coto City major is drafting governance documents to make the transition to city hood a smooth one.  It is said that such activity is done in the confines of secretive committees.”   CotoBuzz Newsletter, April 2004

Apparently CotoBuzz was in good standing with the CZ board at that time,  since it was the first and only time that the CZ BOD president consented to respond.  And so he did as follows:

Dear Buzz:

There are absolutely NO PLANS THOUGHTS OR DEEDS that are underway or being considered that would modify, alter or in any way change Coto's

status of being a gate community within the unincorporated area of Orange

County!!!!!!!

Bob Varo Board President   CotoBuzz Newsletter, April 2004

Of course, this is a major issue;  Mr. Varo’s previous denial of an allegedly  secret meeting drafting city hood documents, followed by a strong denial and now  his latest flip-flop threat disguised as a promise:  ….I would be hard pressed to oppose becoming a part of Rancho, if they would have us”  CZ Master President’s Letter September 2005.

Former CZ Master president  and member of the current CZ Board of Directors, John Zarian writes in the Coto Discussion Forum:  “….the cityhood application we filed for Coto de Caza back in 1998…..obtained signed petitions from more than 25% of the registered voters in Coto” and finishes off with yet one more threat:  “…the issues raised in our cityhood application will not go away”.

So, what  is it that Coto gets besides Mr. Varo’s incorrectly asserting that the Board cannot directly engage effective pro-active traffic enforcement such as the CHP?  It is safe to say that there is not one single reason why Coto de Caza homeowners decided to purchase a property in the area.  However, we can safely say that a common denominator is: a)  Investment strategy and b) security

 The City Of Coto

a.  Investment

Maximize the investment, by buying property in an exclusive gated community.  A change in the status of Coto as a gated exclusively private community would have degrading effects on property values. 

Unfortunately, in the September issue of the CZ Master Association President’s Letter, Robert Varo, president of the CZ Master Association Board of Directors incorrectly states that “I have to tell you….I would be hard pressed to oppose becoming part of Rancho…”.  His reasoning is that “There are too many community benefits that we are not getting by being part of the County that we would get by being part of the RSM”, and “…we can hire our own Sheriff’s deputies..”

We know of NO benefit other than a downgrade of property values.  For example

1.      Public Schools are state entities not city – no added benefit here.
2.      The Fire Authority is a county entity not city - – no added benefit here.
3.      Public Parks and Libraries in RSM are already open to the public - – no added benefit here.

4.      Courts are county, state and federal not city - – no added benefit here.
5.      And, ironically unless we pay money to RSM either in the form of CZ Dues which might be illegal if we were part of the city and/or Special Services District additional taxes, we would dilute their Sheriff’s coverage. 

6.      We can already call the Sheriff if a crime has been committed so that would not change if we were part of RSM.

What is really disturbing is that for no apparent valid reason, the CZ Master Board of Directors terminated the CHP contract, the only pro-active traffic enforcement entity that has been proven effective within Coto to date.  Since then, the board has launched a fruitless battle to try to bring in the Sheriff at a much higher cost.  The results cannot be more dramatic:  A doubling in the accident rate within Coto since the CHP was terminated.

b.  Security

An exclusive gated community using an average property manager and  a well thought out security strategy can be easily and cost effectively  implemented

In the Association’s August 2005 President’s Letter dated July 15, 2005, Mr. Varo announced the selection of a new security company because  “Universal came in with a compelling offer and program that we felt we would have been remiss if we did not select them”.  Keystone Pacific, the property manager’s general manager states  in the September 2005 Letter that “Bids for the annual contract were solicited and six proposals were received”.

However, an audit of the procurement process at the Keystone Pacific offices  on July 29, 2005 conducted by former board member, Mr. Joseph Morabito and Joseph Aguirre, Hillsboro  district delegate, uncovered no bid requests, no scope of services, no formal proposals and no service level agreements. 

This Board’s decision, effectively took the community’s safety responsibilities from the largest security company in the world (Securitas), to arguably, one of the smallest in the region (UPS), without apparent proper due diligence.  In fact Mr. Varo seems to not only condone the UPS midnight raid on Securitas employees but perhaps even encouraged it  ““In a few days, the transition from Securitas to Universal Protection Services will be completed, and I and the Board are hopeful that all of us will notice a marked change in the gate personnel.  Not just the individuals, as many of them may have very well have been hired by UPS”.

We now know however that the fashion and demeanor promise was not fulfilled either.   As a Coto Discussion reader states”    I am so disappointed with the new Security people at the Gate.  My  family members, who are on my Permanent Guest List, were detained at  the So. Gate last night for over 30mins. each.  They told the Guards  that they were on my Guest List and the Guards said they'd never heard  of a Guest List.  The Guards also refused to phone me to gain  permission for their entry.  When my brother-in-law called me on his  Cell Phone from the Gate, he asked one of the Guards to speak with me  and they refused.  As I was talking to my brother-in-law they yelled  for him to go on into Coto.  They repeatedly asked each family member  for my Password.  No one knows my Password.  They gave them my address  and phone number, which should have sufficed.  The dress and demeanor  of the Gate personnel, further, is even more disappointing” 

Way Forward

So what should Coto residents do?  Edmund Burke once said "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  CotoBuzz strongly suggests to put a stop to any more city hood discussions once and for all by sending an unequivocal message to the CZ Board of Directors:  Various alternatives have been discussed including sending a  Cease and Desist Petition to Coto District Delegates, the CZ Board of Directors and any alternative media channels.  A possible Cease and Desists petition may look something like:

 Contact Buzz at cotobuzz@yahoo.com if you are interested in sending a strong message to the CZ Board of directors.

Cease and Desist Petition

Given that since allegations regarding a movement to turn Coto into a city first surfaced, and these  were emphatically refuted by Mr. Varo (see below quotes from the CotoBuzz Newsletter), only to have him confirm  in the September issue of the CZ Master Association President’s Letter that “I have to tell you….I would be hard pressed to oppose becoming part of Rancho…” the undersigned Coto de Caza resident, as dues-paying member of the CZ Master Association in good standing, do hereby request that the CZ Master Association Board of Directors, led by Mr. Robert Varo, cease and desist of any activity that may lead to having the Coto de Caza be annexed to any of its surrounding cities.

“ Who will be the next Coto City Mayor?  Following up on Mr. Bower's letter, we have received unsubstantiated reports that a CZ board insider with aspirations of being the first Coto City major is drafting governance documents to make the transition to city hood a smooth one.  It is said that such activity is done in the confines of secretive committees.”   CotoBuzz Newsletter, April 2004

“ Is Coto Headed for City Hood? - Following up on conspiracy theories expressed by CotoBuzz readers, CotoBuzz approached the CZ Board of Directors for comments and received the following response:

Dear Buzz:

There are absolutely NO PLANS THOUGHTS OR DEEDS that are underway or being considered that would modify, alter or in any way change Coto's

status of being a gate community within the unincorporated area of Orange

County!!!!!!!

Bob Varo Board President   CotoBuzz Newsletter, April 2004

We propose that we address the City Hood issue head on once and for all using a multi-prong approach:

Defeat City Hood Options

1.  Write letters to all Coto residents – this by itself would not do, as many residents may not have the time to sort their incoming mail, and may simply place it in the proverbial circular file.

2.  Personally deliver letter, and copy of a cease and desist petition  – most effective

3.  Personally deliver letter, copy of a cease and desist petition, and a petition to recall the board

4.  Buy space in the OC Register  - content can be the same as the letter written to Coto residents – see below for draft that can be modified based on interested resident’s feedback.

5.  Write letters to the California AG.  Although most HOAs usually disregard inquiries from the AG, the Eliot Spitzer, NY Attorney General has been making a lot of noise when it comes to ethical lapses (he recently settled with AOL) and other AGs in the country are starting to emulate him, including Bill Lockyer.

6.  Write letters to  the California Assembly Housing Committee And Community Development – not usually effective unless they hear from a good number of people at the same time.  We can draft the letter.  Remember, these are politicians and they want votes!

7. Write letters to the California Legislative Action Committee (CLAC) - – not usually effective unless they hear from a good number of people at the same time.  We can draft the letter.  Remember, these are politicians and they want votes!

8.  Write letters of complaint to the California Association of Community Managers, In and ask them to de-certify Keystone Employees associated with CZ for willfully distributing mis-information, willfully participating in cover-ups, OR being ignorant of association affairs, effectively rendering them useless (remember the compelling offer, Lyle’s appointment and reduction in security services).  We can draft the letter

9.  Write letters of complaint to the California Bar for among others things, Failure to Act.

Of course, we can all do nothing – and we can be sure that we will soon be calling Coto,  RSM South.

NO      NAME                        ADDRESS                            SIGNATURE                                    DATE

__        ______                       _____________________ ___________                                   ______

__        ______                       _____________________ ___________                                   ______

__        ______                       _____________________ ___________                                   ______

__        ______                       _____________________ ___________                                   ______

__        ______                       _____________________ ___________                                   ______

__        ______                       _____________________ ___________                                   ______

  Contact Buzz at cotobuzz@yahoo.com if you are interested in sending a strong message to the CZ Board of directors.

Contemporary US History IQ Test  - Multiple Choice

 Test your knowledge of recent historical events. 

1. 1968:   Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by

a. Superman

b. Jay Leno

c. Harry Potter

d.  Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40

2. 1972:   Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by

a. Olga Corbett

b. Sitting Bull

c. Arnold Schwarzenegger

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

3. 1979, US embassy in  Iran is taken over by:

a. Lost Norwegians

b. Elvis

c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:

a. John Dillinger  

b. The King of Sweden

c. The Boy Scouts

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
 

5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:

a. A pizza delivery boy

b. Pee Wee Herman

c. Geraldo Rivera

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
  

6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:

a. The Smurf

b. Davy Jones

c. The Little Mermaid

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
  

7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:

a. Captain Kidd

b. Charles Lindberg

c. Mother Teresa

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:

a. Scooby Do

b. The Tooth Fairy

c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
  

9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:

a. Richard Simmons

b. Grandma Moses

c. Michael Jordan

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
 

10. In 1998, the  US embassies in  Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:

a. Mr. Rogers

b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems

c. The World Wrestling Federation

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
  

11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:

a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fud

b. The Supreme Court of Florida

c. Mr. Bean

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
 

12. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:

a. Bonnie and Clyde

b. Captain Kangaroo

c. Billy Graham

d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

COMPELLING OFFER AND PROGRAM FROM COTOVOICE - QUESTION:  What do you get for CotoVoice CZ Association subsidy?

ANSWER:  News that Lyle has been appointed to the BOD (the GM did not know), and that the Farmer’s Market was closed “due to lack of patronage from the community”, and other rehashed old news. 

Kinder, Gentler CZ Coverage, or why the OC Register may be doing a better job portraying the CZ Master Association BOD as a viable organization than CotoVoice:

The August 24, 2005 issue of the Wall Street Journal Advertising section runs the following headline:  Real-Estate Bubble is Also Buoying Newspapers – For Now

“.….one of the bright spots for newspapers lately has been the real-estate advertising…..At the Los Angeles Times, for example, real-estate ads in print and online editions soared 45% in the second quarter over a year-ago”..

The article continues “But newspapers could be heading for a collision with modern home economics.  The strong real-estate market is masking what has been a years-long decline in classified-ad revenue at newspapers”.

So, should we hope that the real-estate market erupts so the OC Register brings back the classic fair and balanced reporting to the Association?  Or would they even know how to do it?

CZ Master Rumors and Negativism

In the September issue of the CZ Master Association Letter, the Keystone GM writes “The Internet has become a fast and simple way to communicate.  Anyone can create web pages and mass email lists to inform or to spread rumors, half-truths and negativism....  In the case of CZ Master, don’t accept unsolicited information at face value, but check other sources, call or email the office or attend regular business meetings of the Board or Committees and see for yourself” – From the Community Manager, August 15, 2005

Apparently “anyone can create web pages and mass email list to inform or to spread rumors”, except Keystone: 

First, the letter itself seems to have been compiled by someone at Keystone who has not previously used a word processor. 

Secondly, CZ Board meeting agendas and/or minutes are posted by Keystone months later, since the GM came on board.  The Keystone website still lists Paul Young as the Chairman of the D&O Group, even though Paul was never a Coto homeowner, and is involved in allegations of ethical lapses.  The "official list of committees" as found in the Keystone website as of this writing (September 06, 2005) are:

• Aerobatic/Aviation Committee – Chair: , Board Liaison: Bob Varo, Committee Members: Jeff Dawson, Steve Plochocki

•  

• Architectural Review Committee for Policies & Procedures – Chair: Mark Genarro, Board Liaison: Bob Varo, Committee Members: Daryl Starnes, John Cox

•  

• Community Events / Coto C.A.N. – Chair: Marla Carlson, Board Liaison: George Thagard

•  

• Community Governance – Chair:  , Board Liaisons: Mitch Hill & George Thagard

•  

• Community Internal Communications – Chair:  , Board Liaison: Mitch Hill

•  

• Contract / Suppliers – Chair:  , Board Liaison: George Thagard

•  

• Delegates & Others Group – Chair: Paul Young

•  

• Emergency Preparedness – Chair:  , Board Liaison: Mitch Hill

•  

• Irrigation – Chair:, Board Liaison:

•  

• Landscape & Trails – Co-Chairs: Ron Eger & Greg Metcalfe , Board Liaison: ,Committee Members: John Bernards, Susan Bower, Tom Forbes; Committee Advisor: Richard Liggitt

•  

• Lennar Exit Strategy – Chair:  , Board Liaisons: Bob Varo, George Thagard

•  

• Reserve Study Task Force – Chair/Board Liaison: Jerry Mezger, Committee Members: Corey Ferguson

•  

• Risk Management / Insurance – Chair:  , Board Liaison: Jerry Mezger

•  

• Sports Complex – Chair: Larry Mount, Board Liaison: , Committee Members: Bob Grich, Bruce Warren

• e-mail: larry@mount4.com

•  

• Streets & Vehicles (Traffic, Safety & Gate Access) – Chair: Board Liaison:, Committee Members: Corey Ferguson

•  

• Technology – Chair: , Board Liaison: Mitch Hill, Committee Members:

•  

• Welcome Committee / Welcome Home Center Parcel – Chair:  , Board Liaison: Bob Varo, George Thagard
  

As a CotoBuzz reader writes:  "  Hilarious.   First, how can there be a committee of one.  The group meeting would be interesting to watch......  This is all a big joke.  And/or if these Committees exist, where are the meeting minutes as required by law", referring to the Civil Code (Section 8320) REQUIRES that all committees take and keep minutes.  

Thirdly, CotoBuzz readers know that anything of substance, they  first find out directly from CotoBuzz or the Coto Discussion Forum and NOT from any Board of Directors Meeting, Keystone employees or directly from the Board.  Examples include EXACT prediction of election results during the last three elections, the selection of Lyle Schlieder to replace Sean Larkin in a Hit and Run, as Mr. Larkin resigned a few hours after he was re-elected to second term, effectively denying the post to the only independent candidate during the 2005 CZ BOD elections.  Most recently CotoBuzz reported the firing of the largest security company in the worlds, Securitas as the security services provider for the association, and replaced by Universal Protection Services, one of the smallest security company in the region, to provide a reduced level of service.  This action was soon followed by a midnight raid of Securitas employees by the new security company.

Fourthly, Keystone employees, on their own volition, or compelled by their employer or the CZ BOD, when asked proving questions will either stonewall, mis-inform, or simply not respond.  Examples follow: 1)  Bob Varo claimed to have received a compelling offer from UPS.  An audit of the procurement process at Keystone found NO bid requests, NO scope of services, NO service level agreement and NO pricing provided by UPS.   The audit found NO other bids, even though the GM in the latest newsletter claims  that “Bids for the annual contract were solicited and six proposals received…..although Universal was the low bidder, the selection included several considerations”

Is this an example of ½ truth, 0% truth, or simply mis-information or a conscious attempt at a cover up?

 2)HANDLING OF LYLE’s APPOINTMENT - The  email below was sent by the GM to delegates when CotoBuzz had already published the fact that  Lyle had already been selected to serve.

From: CJ Klug [mailto:cklug@keystonepacific.com]
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 8:24 AM
 Subject: CZ Board Candidate Appointment

Delegates,

As you may be aware from the President’s newsletter, there is a vacancy on the CZ Board.  The Board is inviting owners interested in serving on the Board to submit letters of interest with background information to the CZ Community Manager or email to: cklug@keystonepacific.com.  Interested persons may also appear at the July 14 Board meeting at the Golf Clubhouse.

The appointment will be to complete the year remaining on the term and then the person would have the choice of running for a new term.  If there are any questions please contact any Board member or the CZ office at (949) 838-3223.  

When asked to confirm that the seat was still open, his response was:

From: CJ Klug [mailto:cklug@keystonepacific.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 7:40 AM
 Subject: RE: CZ Board Candidate Appointment

No appointment has yet been made.  Subject will be on the July 14 agenda.

Is this an example of ½ truth, 0% truth, or simply mis-information or a conscious attempt at a cover up?

3)    HANDLING OF REDUCTION IN SECURITY SERVICES - When the CotoBuzz published a Securitas memo stating a reduction in services, the GM was questioned about it and his response was: 

From: CJ Klug [mailto:cklug@keystonepacific.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 7:53 AM
Subject: RE: Securitas Patrols

Yes

The GM's final answer was only changed after he  was faxed a copy of the Securitas memo:

From: CJ Klug [mailto:cklug@keystonepacific.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 1:00 PM

Subject: RE: [COTO] RE: Securitas Patrols

The memo from Ron Murray is right in that he indicates Securitas is under contract until Sept. 1 (no change in level of service) but in error about the new service level, probably because he took the information from the bid request that requested cost based on a minimum service level.  The actual contracted service level has more hours, which is adjusted based on their hourly rates.

Is this an example of ½ truth, 0% truth, or simply mis-information or a conscious attempt at a cover up?

We are not even discussing the long list of items that the GM has yet to respond to (Clogged Klug's Que), or the issue that the GM has requested a delegate to resign and no longer have contact with him.  The handling of the proposed cumulative voting and dual seat changes, as compared to the expense of the “NEW RULES HEARING”, mostly driven by service providers.  We are not discussing the handling of the Budget proposal or the proposed.

 Is this an example of ½ truth, 0% truth, or simply mis-information or a conscious attempt at a cover up?

CZ MASTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS ATTENDANCE RECORDS - as seen in the Coto Discussion Forum

Hello All: Attached is the shocking, authoritative record of CZ Board Member meeting attendance, since each took office, finally provided by Keystone and verified by Joe Bower. 

Sean Larkin missed 59% of CZ Board Meetings;

Ed Masotti missed 24% of CZ Board Meetings;

Mitch Hill has missed 22% of CZ Board Meetings to date;

Jerry Mezger has missed 12% of CZ Board Meetings to date;

Bob Varo has missed 1% of CZ Board Meetings to date.

Folks, believe me I know what a grind it is to serve on the CZ Board.  I did it for two and a half years and rarely missed a meeting because once I signed up I took the responsibility seriously.  Most of the 10 or more CZ Board Members that I served with rarely missed a meeting.  It is absolutely critical that all CZ Board Members rarely miss a meeting because CZ Board Meetings are the only quality time CZ Board Members spend in one room together to conduct the business of the Association often by CZ Board votes.  

BRINGING DOWN THE EVIL TWINS -  The current CZ board gave has given Coto the Evil Twins:  an unprecedented, two alleged cover ups in one month.

1. 1.  Sean Larkin’s Hit and Run resignation that kept an independent candidate and non-delegate, out of the board 

2. 2.  Lack of due diligence that produced a  figment of Bob Varo’s imagination:  a compelling proposal to fire the largest security company in the world and replace it with one of the smallest one!

So, what is on store for this month?

Service providers have generate over 20 pages containing proposed rule changes that deal with such important items as New Guidelines For Saturday Landscape Committee Walks With District Delegates (Note that the GM is not required to attend), Fine Schedule,  Fine Violation, Policy Regarding Roots and Branches and of course, subsidized use of the Sports Park for non monthly-dues paying  CZ residents.  If you do not know what this means, check your mail for a very important note from the CZ Board of Directors regarding Notification of Most Important Proposed Rule Changes!  Apparently the CZ board members who actually attend board meetings simply may have rubber stamped these proposals.  But what happened to the proposals to eliminate Cumulative Voting and Banning the practice of holding a board seat in conjunction with a delegate seat (read the fox guarding the hen house)!

Is this not ironic that in a state that has pioneered the practice of direct government, the CZ Master Association still practices banana republic electoral processes?  For example, a district delegate refuses to disclose to a resident in his district how he voted in the last election!

COMMON INTEREST DEVELOPMENT (CID)/HOA PENDING  LEGISLATION BRIEF

Send Letters to your local elected officials making it clear you support this legislation, if you do not want to have Coto become RSM South!

California Assembly Housing Committee And Community Development go to CAHCCD, click here

Alan Lowenthal, Chair D-54:  (916) 319-2054 Alan.Lowenthal@assembly.ca.gov    

Dennis Mountjoy, Vice Chair R--59:  916) 319-2059 Assemblymember.Mountjoy@assembly.ca.gov

Dave Cogdill R-25 (916) 319-2025 Assemblymember.Cogdill@assembly.ca.gov   
Sharon Runner R-36 (916) 319-2036 Assemblywoman.Runner@assembly.ca.gov 
John A. Dutra D-20 (916) 319-2020 Assemblymember.dutra@assembly.ca.gov 
Simon Salinas D-28  (916) 319-2028 Assemblymember.Salinas@assembly.ca.gov 
Gene Mullin D-19  (916) 319-2019 Assemblymember.mullin@assembly.ca.gov 
Darrell Steinberg D-9 (916) 319-2009 Assemblymember.Steinberg@assembly.ca.gov 
Christine Kehoe D-76 (916) 319-2076 Assemblymember.Kehoe@assembly.ca.gov

Assembly Members

Member                 District Number and Office     Capitol Office

Spitzer, Todd          71  1940 North T ustin Street       State Capitol

                             Suite 102                                  Ro om 2111

                             Orange, CA 92865                    Sacramento, CA 94249-0071

                                                                            (916) 319-2071

Campbell, John       70  18952 MacArthur Blvd.        State Capitol

                             Suite 220                                Room 4102

                             Irvine, CA 92612                      Sacramento, CA 94249-0070

                                                                           (916) 319-2070

Demystifying all those acronyms used by your property manager: CCAM^® Certification Requirements and Qualifications

• Pay the current CCAM applicant certification processing and current CCAM maintenance fee. 
  Be a high school graduate or its equivalent, and be at least 18 years of age. 

All applicants must successfully complete the following educational requirements for the CCAM certification program.

• The Basics of Association Management (BAM), 
• California Law for Community Associations,
• Ethics for California Community Managers.

CCAM CODE OF ETHICS

• Managers should avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, concealment and knowingly distributing misinformation
• Undertake only those engagements that they can reasonably expect to perform with professional competence
• Disclose all relationships in writing to the client regarding any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest between the Manager and other vendors.
• Provide written disclosure of any compensation, gratuity or other form of remuneration from individuals or companies who act or may act on behalf of the client (ARE YOU SERIOUS?)
• See that the funds held for the client by the Manager are in separate accounts and not misappropriated

Shall conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.

Send Keystone Property Management employee complaints to:

California Association of Community Managers, Inc.

                                Professional Standards Committee

                                Attn: Director of Membership

                                23461 South Pointe Dr., Ste. 200

Clogged Klug’s Queue - CotoBuzz will be publishing a monthly  list containing items the new CZ General Manager  has failed to provide an acceptable response  or take action on:

Provide the complete list of District Delegates that voted in and how they voted,  the 2005-2006  CZ election.  

Provide date when audited  cumulative voting results and minutes can be audited

Take a position on whether it is fiscally responsible to publish a Newsletter AND keep subsidizing CotoVoice

Take a position on whether current approach to proactive traffic enforcement is ethically, fiscally and morally responsible.

State his position on whether the use of landscaping consultants (instead of having Keystone do the job) is fiscally responsible.

State a position on overall Coto Security Strategy (access control, traffic accidents, resident data confidentiality, transponder issues, etc.)

Prepare 2005-2006 CZ Master Goal and Objectives - see response to request for input

Propose Key Business Indicators to manage the association fiscally, ethically and transparently

Take a position on ethics associated with dual membership:  in BOD  and district delegates.  

Report on status of amendments:  Ban dual membership and cumulative voting and why cumulative voting was not in agenda in last BOD meeting, as he had promised.

Water mis-management – How is the Maxicom system being managed or not? Prepare Test Procedures so Keystone employees, district managers, consultants or concerned citizens can test a district's irrigation system.  Extensive mater waste continues - and he "is investigating"

Position on subsidies to the  Estates and the Villages

Disclose who knew what and when Mr. Larkin was resigning from his recently minted second term in the BOD  

Disclose any conflict of interest associated with the selection of UPS to replace Securitas.  Why he failed to supply the audit team with the "compelling offer" Bob Varo promised.  Disclose why he did not provide the audit team with all the proposals he claimed had  received.

Disclose how many Keystone employees are scheduled to participate, in an ethically challenged manner, staffing the August Golf CotoCan Golf Tournament, at CZ resident's expense.

.

COTO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT 2H2005 UPDATE

As predicted, despite the cosmetic actions taken so far (refer to Reducing Crime according to the GM) by the current board, the traffic accident rate continue to double every year since the board terminated the contract with CHP without an advance notice and without a baseline to judge effect of their most questionable decision.

source:  CHP, July 2005 - Official keepers of accident data for the State of California

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AOL USERS

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COTOBUZZ VISION - Fighting Coto Resident Apathy One Resident At a Time!

COTOBUZZ is a change agent to transform the historically confrontational, antagonistic Coto culture by maximizing resident involvement and facilitating communication between the board, residents and service providers, and eventually develop a sense of community and civic pride while maintaining the Coto Life Style we all have come to love.

Forward this newsletter to your Coto friends and neighbors. Ask them to sign up for their own copy (free) at www.cotobuzz.com  You are receiving this newsletter because you have confirmed your subscription at www.cotobuzz.com, you are a CZ Master Association delegate, service provider or interested party.  To cancel your subscription, contact:

• Buzz cotobuzz@yahoo.com   

• P.O. Box 154                    

• Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678 

• fax/messages: 8153611721

The views of collaborators, service providers or invited guests do not necessarily reflect those of CotoBuzz

For advertising in the CotoBuzz newsletter details, click here:

Terms of Use

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Coto Discussion Forum Alive and Thriving

Currently, the forum can be accessed by the CZ Board, residents from the Estates, Villages and CZ Masters.  Subjects covered include CZ Board of Directors Performance, or lack thereof, CZensorship, PerCZeption is Knowledge, the Dead Oak Trees, Cumulative Voting, the Brewing Revolt, Security, etc.....  Get your Swiss Knife (the right tool for the right job) - join the Coto Discussion Forum   When participants violate the Cotobuzz guidelines, they will be BUZZED three times.  The third BUZZ will come along with an automatic ban from the discussion forum for a period of one month. We suggest you obtain a free email account such as Yahoo or Hotmail.  Since you can post and download pictures and files, we also recommend you have you antivirus software updated.  If you need help setting up, send us email at cotobuzz@yahoo.com  CotoBuzz is open to all Coto de Caza residents, regardless of political affiliation, personal or professional agenda. Mutual respect – we may not agree, but we recognize we all have a right to express ourselves without fear of retribution. We express ourselves without resorting to personal abuse or name-calling. Subscribe to the COTO Discussion/Chat Forum - customize how you want to receive information: Daily, Weekly, etc. District Pictures, COTOLAND Pictures, Coto Events, Coto Issues, and other goodies!

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