New directors win seats on POA Board

Canyon Lake Property Owners Association members have spoken and it appears their mandate is one of change. Three new directors were elected last week to the board, with voters resoundingly ousting its president, Chris Poland, who received only 549 votes, about half of what the winning three directors received.

Those winning the three seats that were up for election were Timothy Cook, Brian Bock and Renee Griffiths. Each of the three ran away with the victory by pretty much doubling the votes received by each of the other three in the race.

Meanwhile, only two of the seven ballot measures passed. The two that passed were the IRS Tax Measure and the one-year funding of the construction of Sierra Park North.

Moments after the results of the board election were announced, the new board took two rounds to elect their board president and other positions. The new Canyon Lake POA President is Joe Kamashian, Vice President is Jim Barringham, Secretary is Brian Bock and Treasurer is Renee Griffiths.

The final vote tally of the six candidates for the three directors was:

Timothy Cook – 1,156

Brian Bock – 1,026

Renee Griffiths – 1,010

Chris Poland – 549

Carl Gardner – 546

Bradley Foland – 482

Timothy Cook

Tim Cook, who has an extreme fondness for the community in which he now leads, said he is grateful for the support he has received after he chose to run for the board.

“The support was overwhelming,” he said. “Now that I am one of your new directors, I want to thank you all for all you have done for me, your support and your welcoming me and my family. I am grateful.”

He said as Canyon Lake starts a new chapter with this new board, he is honored to represent the members of the community.

“I promise to do the best I can to work hard for the members,” he said. “I will be open and transparent, fiscally responsible, available to all members as needed, and accountable for the decisions I will make. The people of this community have spoken and again I am humbled and grateful. I thank you all for your support and your votes. This community is the best in our state and I will do my best to keep it that way.”

Renee Griffiths

Renee Griffiths said in a Facebook post that she was grateful for everyone who voted in the election.

“In reflection, the best part of running for the board was meeting new people and starting new friendships,” she said. “We have an amazing community. It is with excitement that I look forward to serving our community as Treasurer. Thank you to the new board for selecting me for that position.”

Brian Bock is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the board and is convinced the Canyon Lake membership is looking for change.

“I am profoundly honored to be elected by our community and look forward to serving on this new board under the direction and leadership of our new President Joe Kamashian and Vice President Jim Barringham,” Brian said. “This election proved that the people of Canyon Lake have a voice and their opinions matter; and the people of this community can literally make a difference and create the change that I spoke of throughout my campaign.”

Brian Bock

New President Joe Kamashian published a note on the Canyon Lake POA website regarding the support he feels from members of the board and of the community.

“I want to thank the community and Board for their support. This is a time to look forward, but first, we can’t look forward without thanking our past president Chris Poland. He did an outstanding job leading our community forward with incredible vision and dedication. I don’t know of any volunteer who has worked harder than Chris Poland. Thank you Chris, for your commitment and hard work for our community.

“I would also like to welcome our new Board for the 2021/2022 year. I have worked with our new Vice President, Jim Barrringham, for the past year, and I have appreciated his insight and support.

I look forward to working more with him this next year.  Renee Griffiths will serve as our new Treasurer following the outstanding leadership of Jeanne O’Dell. Renee has served two years on the Finance Committee, and I believe the Treasurer’s position is in good hands with her.

Pres. Joe Kamashian

“Our new Director Tim Cook impressed me with the time he devoted to learning about the Canyon Lake POA. He attended our Board Meetings and Committee Meetings to be a better-informed candidate and now Board member.

“Our new Secretary Brian Bock and I share the common goal, to make Canyon Lake better. I look forward to working with Brian towards this goal.

“As good as our Board is, and as much as we try to get done, it is only accomplished because of our Canyon Lake POA staff. They are the ‘nuts and bolts’ that hold this organization together. It starts at the top with General Manager Eric Kazakoff, who manages the 130 hardworking employees who serve our community. We look to the Canyon Lake POA staff for their expertise and support. They are valuable assets to the success of this organization and community.

“Next year there will be some controversies and there will be some positive changes. I hope we can all remember we are neighbors and friends in our ‘bit of paradise’, focus on the positive and treat each other accordingly.”

The final vote tally on the Ballot Measures were:

PASSED – IRS Tax Measure – Yes 1467, No 205

Vp Jim Barrington

If approved, the Canyon Lake POA can apply excess income from the previous fiscal year to the following year’s assessments/operational budget.

FAILED – Board of Director Terms – Yes 385, No 1320

If approved, the years for Board Director terms would double to four-year terms. The Canyon Lake POA would hold elections every two years, rather than annually.

FAILED – General Manager Designation – Yes 690, No 957

If approved, this measure would document and formalize the roles for the Board and General Manager that are currently in place. There would be no authority or compensation changes.

FAILED – Capital Improvement Spending – Yes 546, No 1139

If approved, this would permanently change Capital Improvement spending authority from $800,000 every two years to $1,000,000 every year.

FAILED – Purchase Limitation – Yes 573, No 1098

If approved, this would double the Bylaw limitation from $200,000 to $400,000 rent/lease/purchase because of inflation.

FAILED – Capital Improvement Funding – Yes 424, No 1213

If approved, this raises the ability to borrow money from 5% of the annual budget to 15% and would allow us to do our long-planned projects like solar carports and the development of Sierra Park North.

PASSED – Sierra Park North – Yes 956, No 734

If approved, Sierra Park North can be completed under a single contract within one year.