POA disbands committees

What started as an ad hoc committee to give young members a voice in POA decisions evolved into the Community Involvement Committee over the past five years, but it never got past a lack of members.

In 2017, after almost two years of meetings, the committee only had three reliable members, according to a Weekly Vista story on April 17, 2017. By then it had become a Joint Advisory Committee and was discussing new events, including glow golf, glow tennis, cosmic mini-golf with music and snacks, bi-weekly late nights with a DJ and snacks at the pool for kids, kids night out at Riordan hall, family kayak lessons with a picnic after, and ice cream socials.

Andrew Glover, chairman of the group at the time, said it was difficult to plan events because of the lack of manpower.

In June 2017, new officers were elected and the name change was discussed to make the committee inclusive. The Community Involvement Committee planned the first Fireflies and Tailgates event which was held that summer. The first coat drive was held in November 2017. There were 10 members listed in the minutes for October 2017.

The events planned by the committee were successful, but membership continued to fluctuate in 2018 and 2019.

“It was a very needed piece, but it lost traction,” vice-chairman John Bowman said. “Younger members need something to be involved in.”

On Thursday, the board voted to disband the committee and directed the Rules and Regulations Committee to adjust policies and bylaws to reflect the change. Members, General Manager Tom Judson said, may be moved to other committees like recreation.

The two events, Fireflies and Tailgates and the winter coat drive will continue, he promised. POA staff will take over the events.

A second committee, the short-lived Super Committee was also disbanded. The Super Committee was made up of members of other Joint Advisory Committees and was meant to work on special projects as needed but few meetings were held and no special projects were identified.