Portillo believes she has the energy the association needs
BELLA VISTA — JB Portillo believes she has the energy the Property Owners Association needs to navigate the next few years.
“I know there’s a need for a positive, energetic person,” she said. “There’s always a solution, but it may not be easy to get to it.”
She doesn’t let negative comments bother her because, when you volunteer, you have to be ready for anything that may happen.
She supports the Property Owners Association-run restaurants. When they were run by people who leased the space, they didn’t always succeed. The Property Owners Association made a plan with restaurants serving various demographics.
But in order to succeed, a restaurant needs customers and Bella Vistans are not always open to trying new things. It may take a few years for Lakepoint and BV’s Grill at the Country Club to develop a loyal following, but they are holding their own, she said.
Portillo believes the current lawsuit trying to overturn last year’s assessment election because of the two-tier assessment system is frivolous.
“We had to have an assessment increase in order to even maintain the facilities the way they are. We can’t let it get the way it was — sitting on a bunch of money while things fall apart.”
People moving to Bella Vista from other POA communities find the assessment fees very low, she said.
People who can’t afford the fees, probably shouldn’t have moved to Bella Vista.
It’s the buyer’s responsibility to find out about assessment fees, she pointed out.
The growth in the area is changing the demographics, she said. It’s important for the POA to stay ahead of the growth and remain flexible.
Members should make the decisions about the amenities.
When she retired in 2013, Portillo had spent 30 years in accounting/budgeting, government compliance, human resources and IT. She also has an extensive volunteer resume working with groups like Master Gardeners, Master Naturalist,s and the Bella Vista Business Association. She served on the Bella Vista Planning Commission and volunteers at the Bella Vista television station.
For the TV station, she has been filming all the Property Owners Association board meetings for the last four years and has interviewed many Property Owners Association employers for local TV shows. A graduate of the Citizens Police Academy, she was active with the group Citizens Helping to Improve Public Safety.
“I am a person of my word. … I promise decisions based on facts that meet the needs of our members now and into the future.”