Board members seek re-election June 20; read their bios, goals, get ballot info

On Wednesday, June 20, the Eagle Nest Property Owners Association will conduct an election to fill four director positions. At this time, only two candidates have stepped forward, both current board members seeking re-election: Angie Obergfell and Scott Thien.

Watch your front door this weekend for a paper ballot with the names of candidates and spaces to write in the names of two more nominees. Simply fill it out and deposit in the secure street mailbox in front of the Eagle Nest clubhouse by Wednesday.

Better yet, attend Wednesday's meeting at the clubhouse and cast your vote in person. You can even nominate yourself! The meeting starts at 7 p.m.; ballot counting will begin shortly thereafter.

Following are bios and platform information provided by Angie and Scott:

Angie Obergfell, director, 7901 Teel Way:

“I am a current board member and my first term will be expiring shortly.  I would like to continue assisting on the board and ask for your vote.

“I have lived in Eagle Nest for approximately 26 years and have watched many changes.  I initially ran for the Board in hopes of saving our community needless expenses, controlling speeding and maintaining the high standards that I feel we should all want.  I feel this was accomplished over the past 2 years by the Board and with my assistance.

“I was instrumental in having our banking institution changed to stop paying monthly banking fees and secure more interest than in the past several years.  In addition because of my background, I volunteered to oversee our association’s insurance needs, bidding out the program which had not been done for many years.  This brought us a saving in our annual insurance cost.  We are still paying less in premium today than two years ago, even with the upward trend of insurance costs. I will be diligent in overseeing our insurance needs while finding the best price available.

“In addition, I instigated and maintained a formal reference guide to help future Board Members with past actions and occurrences, including examples of proper procedures for various situations. This will help by giving historical information other than just having the By-Laws etc available for review.

“Finally, through the efforts of the current Board, for the past two years we have been able to allow a rebate in association maintenance fees, which as far as I know, was never done in the past. We do not need to keep increasing the reserve funds by increasing maintenance fees as was consistently done in the past.    

“I thank you for your support and vote to allow me to resume working for the needs of our association.

“Please allow me to serve on the Board for another term so I can help all homeowners in a conservative, resourceful manner.”

Scott Thien, vice president, 8032 Bittern Lane:

"I think our neighborhood is among the best on the Northeastside – and I’d like to keep it that way. As your vice president, I’ve spearheaded or approved several cost-savings and operational efficiencies during the past two years, chief among them:

> Blog site: I volunteered to lead the creation, maintenance and editorial content of the neighborhood’s blog site. The elimination of the paper Eagle Eye saved the board – and ultimately our residents -- several thousand dollars in materials and postage. Page views have grown steadily since the blog’s inception, averaging about 1,000 a month and are growing month over month, year over year. The site houses several important documents and policies, including the by-laws, covenants, board minutes, pool rules, clubhouse rental information, board contact information, crime updates, among other things. The blog has resulted in timely communication, board transparency and considerable cost savings. Suggestions welcome, of course.

> Snow removal policy: I led the push to revise the neighborhood’s snow plowing policy, which added our 17 cul-de-sacs (about 150 homes) to main routes plowed when snow totals reach 3 inches or more. In the past, residents in the courts had to wait until higher accumulations before their streets were cleared. Granted, our mild winter made this a moot point -- this year -- but I’m confident the new policy will come in handy.

> Voted to approve: installation of clubhouse security cameras; pool pump room overhaul; patch and resurface the tennis courts; build a clubhouse office for board staff; and most importantly, reduce homeowner association dues two years in a row.

My platform and goals for the next term, should I be re-elected:

> further reduce association dues and re-examine goals for the neighborhood’s reserves;

> repave our cul-de-sacs, many of which have been repeatedly patched over the years;

> hire a security officer to patrol Eagle Nest, sharing costs with a nearby neighborhood;

> continue to promote and encouraging neighborhood safety and cleanliness;
> expand the blog to improve board communication with residents and among neighbors;

> eliminate eyesores that devalue the neighborhood’s properties and sully its reputation.

My qualifications and background:
> Occupation: online editor for IndyStar.com, The Indianapolis Star.
> Education: bachelor's of journalism, 1987, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
> Family: married; four older teenage children (some of whom probably have mowed your lawn, raked your leaves or shoveled your driveway); and a golden retriever.
> Hobbies: family, church, yard work, mountain biking, taekwondo, music, reading.

> As a 25-year journalist, I am well-versed in the issues and challenges facing our neighborhood, our seniors, our families, our children, our township, our city and our state.
> As a 17-year resident of Lawrence Township, I understand the dynamics of the area and have cultivated long-time business and social contacts raising a family here.
> As a former resident of eight states (most in the Midwest), I have a broad spectrum of experience in neighborhood living and how neighborhood associations work.

"Thank you in advance for your support – and your vote on June 20."

If you’re interested in running but want more information about the duties and time required, feel free to contact any board member to answer your questions. A link to their contact information is here: http://eaglenestindy.blogspot.com/p/contacts.html