This week's meetings.

Has anybody got any more info on this ?
Was anybody hurt?
Have they got anybody for it?
How much and what did they take?

This sort of thing is a big big worry for all of us.
But I think your prob right if they have been having work done, lets just hope that if they have not got them yet!!! that its not long before they do

Hope that the people involved are all ok

Sue

I hate being right!

I don't know how many of you heard "fireworks" on Thursday night, but that wasn't fireworks but an armed robbery taking place. It occured at a property where a local construction crew has been working for some weeks now. Robbers only strike when they know the reward is worth the risk. That makes it an inside job in my book.

Somehow we need to remove the scum from Costambar - we know where they live - any suggestions?

I was once told, & believe with a passion, that your staff are your best security. Namely, if you CLOSELY control who enters your home, fewer people know what you have & you have less chance of being a victim of crime.

There are very few people who we let into our home, definitely not locals unless accompanied by a trusted friend/acquaintance. If somebody wants to meet us they can come to the bar.

Despite all this we were victims of an attempted break-in. Some say it was an opportunist, but it just happened to occur on the one day our condominium handyman was off work ...

Mrs. Basile At no time I have said anything unkind about Sandro, contrary have always said the only one that worked hard as a member of the old board was Sandro. If you read My e mail again will notice that I said APC could not provide security for my home. I will try to post the letter I have from APC in the web site, but in the group E mail I have .

Aida you cannot possibly mean that APC does not provide security! Sandro and his men have provided more security than anyone ever has bben able to, and that without adequate funds to do so. Many people are involved in remedying the lack of funds and therefore our security will be even better. It must be disheartening for the people who have worked so hard to have you make a casual comment like that. I really think you owe those hard working guys an apology.
Suzb

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Services for Los Mango Street.

APC verses Costa de Ambar


APC provides No bulbs, lamps or maintaining them, No street cleaning, No street repair, no green cutting, picks up garbage but provides no security.

Two years ago APC gave us a letter which stated that they can not provide security for our home for the way it is situated, copy of the letter is available for viewing. However we continued paying full maintenance to APC up to the end of this Feb.

We made a US $500.00 donation for Calle Duarte 3 years ago and bought a control for 3000.00 pesos for the green gate. The green gate was to be exclusive for only the ones who donated for the Duarte Street. Later anyone that paid maintenance fee could buy a control, later anyone who pays3000.00 gets a control. Now the guard opens the gate to anyone if he gets something on the side or if he is yield at loud enough.


Costa de Ambar provides street light, street cleaning, street repair, green cutting, picks up garbage and provides security. And control for the black gate.

The management at Costa de Ambar gets salary, good service can be demanded unlike APC, “we are volunteers”

This decision was not made lightly .I even tried to bring APC and Costa de Ambr close to some how work together , Had many meetings with Mr. Vallarino , Mr. Vallarino as a good gesture put surveillance cameras and wanted to put surveillance equipment at the main gate and wanted to provide radios for residents so they had fast access to the gate but our previous APC president Polanco refused and Vallarino removed his cameras. I was one of the people who really stood up for APC but at the end I have to think what is best for Costambar's future. The fee is not much different from APC.

Aida Sosa

Bob
Thank you for your respond to my e mail. I am very much aware and appreciated your support in the past. My intentions have always been to improving the running of Costambar. Poking the APC’s eye is not my purpose but opening the eyes of APC is

Board of directors who are in charge to care for the money they receive should always know the condition of the finances for this is most important. I would have trusted them if they just simply said we do not have the exact figures and we need to get back with answer.

Instead of out burst of 500.000.00 pesos or 74,000.00 pesos, this only show me that they really do not know what is going on and they should. That is harmful to the community.

I was not questioning the legality of the election but irregularity of the rules which governs the process of election ,again it does harm the community because it brings more distrust in the members who see when some were allowed to vote when by the ruling of the election committee they had to be paid up for one year prier to election. yet some residents that were not allowed to vote under the same rules. That is very harmful, that is why where we are. Just because there was no other slate it does not make it right not to follow the rules.

It really does not matter if it was me or anyone else is elected if the there issues in the by-law that needs to be corrected then by all means.

As for board members have to be paid up, the records exist back to 2005, we could go back that far. Certainly the board members should set an example for the rest of the community. Two do not.

Costambar already has a map with 8 sections. It would not be dividing it, but my thoughts were only some how to represent the whole Costambar better.

As I mentioned in my e mail it would be no problem to have board members who are not here all the months of the year, if APC's income was steady and all paid. We have here much talented people which Costambar could benefit even from long distance. However we are not there yet and board members are needed here. We need 6 Luigis to go around and bring back the 52% that is lost , that it self is monumental job. My experience with board past, when I worked with the maintenance worker saw the need of daily control of the workers because of lack of discipline the employees have in this country. Just showing up on time to work , making sure the lunch is one hour and not one hour and fifteen minutes ,or checking on how much gasoline they bought for how many miles they drove or the assigned project for that day needed constant checking all through the day. Paulina and I sometime would run out of time and we both lived here year around. Same was for security. If our security has seen improvement is because Sandro was there every day morning and night some times seven days a week. Imagine if we had two more people helping Sandro, he lives here year around.also I never questioned the competence or dedication of the new board members, but the amount of time they would have available to over see the work. That lack of time could be harmful to the community.

When there was a meeting at La Rocka just before the election I spoke to many none payers and encouraged them to pay and vote which then they would have the power to change things that they did not like.

But I have lost faith in the way APC is functioning and I see month after month how money is wasted. A perfect example is when just recently APC decided to reopen the green gate without checking that no one was able to use the university Ave while it was being asphalted and every one had to drive back to the main gate yet we had a guard sitting at the green gate for 8 hours or more for absolutely nothing for days. Next example Colina gate is only to be used when a truck is to big to enter from the main gate. When such truck approaches the gate a guard goes with truck to open the gate let the truck in and later closes it, this might go on 3 or four time at best in one day . The wheel under the gate broke APC office instead of immediately fixing the wheel, they had four people every morning to go to open the gate have a security guard sit there for11 hours 5 days and 6 hours on Sat. so if and when a truck comes the gate is open. The cost of repair the wheel 1000.00 pesos verses 61 hours cost of payroll per week .I know for sure it was more than week but Betania can give the exact days. I know It was 1000.00 pesos because I paid it from the donations I received for extension that was put on Colina gate. No need to be a mathematician to see how money gets wasted. These two incidents was just past month and half. Hate to see what happens during the full year. If I have injured my person by speaking out but some how have made others aware. Then it is job well done.

Kindest regards

Aida Sosa

Aida,
I have spoken up for you many times in the past, as I (along with others) have not doubted your strong commitment to improving Costambar. But this most recent email of yours has made further support highly problematic. My reasons are as follows:
1, 2009 Closing Balance: You asked a question that couldn't be answered. While the board should have said that they didn't know, they attempted instead to give you a figure. While that may not have been the best move on their part, complaining now that they guessed wrong is, in my opinion, not a valid argument.
2.Legality of 2010 Election: The legality of certain residents to sit as board members, the legality of voting procedures and the legality of the voting franchise as it pertains to residents is one that you have consistently questioned. Indeed you may have, in fact, exposed irregularities in all of the above procedures. You have 'cried foul' but no one has listened. The reason is that there must be more than potential harm, there must be real harm. Has anyone been harmed? Has anyone been cheated?. Has Costambar been put at risk? Has an opposition group been denied a voice? You argue for a perfect election procedure. It is not likely to happen. May I remind you that you, too, were elected under this imperfect system.
3. Voter eligibility:You want on the board only people who can prove that they have paid 100% of all their maintenance fees since they became residents. That is an impossibility, plain and simple. The records do not exist.
4. Restructuring the Board: Dividing Costambar into 8 sections for purposes of representation would only increase, not decrease the dissension in the Community. The Partitioning itself would make the India/Pakistan demarcation seen an easy exercise in comparison. Balkanization is not a solution. The current board, in fact, has attempted and succeeded in including people with varying interests and nationalities.
5.Dedication and Competence of Board Members: Your questioning of the ability of the
board members to see the importance of their jobs is, at best, quite presumptuous. As to their inability to work 'part-time' , I think that is certainly a rather premature assumption. You assume that they can do no useful work unless they are 'on-site'. With the ability of the internet and the tools it affords, many businesses function successfully without day-to-day physical interaction.

Finally, as to your decision to cease paying APC and instead direct your payments to 'Costa de Ambar':, I ask, why? What benefits will you derive? Will this insure better lighting on your street; better garbage pickup; better security? I think that, in your attempt to 'poke a stick in the eye' of the APC, I fear you have instead injured yourself.

Costa de Ambar ?????
Please tell more Aida, I have only heard this name in the history of Costambar not the future.

Lots of good points in your post

Sue

Hello Pat, I was not able to attend your meeting, I would like to voice my concerns and suggestions.
Mr. Vacari a longtime resident of Costambar told me that I can not say anything about a candidate and his wrong doing once he is elected. So I brought to everyone’s attention Yash’s misconduct about his fees for the years past before the election and nothing happened.
On Jan.25th town hall meeting I asked a simple question of what was are closing balance at the end of 2009?.I am sure you remember the dance our treasurer did around my question and then Yash’s out burst “ Just tell her 500,000.00 pesos” finally 75,000.00 pesos was the number given. The next day at APC office I was told it was only 34,000.00 pesos. Why would a none payer trust APC??
I set a meeting with election committee and invited two observers. Asked the election committee to adopt the election roles that was approved by the majority on Dec10 2007. Also to define the eligibility of the voters, and changing the voting to one vote per property that is fully paid. After a long discussion we agreed on all points and came to an understanding that might a delay to the election be necessary to put all things right. The week after on the 25th of Jan. 2010 at the town hall meeting election committee announced the roles of election and ignored important point that was agreed on and calling the 2007 change illegal and there will be 2 votes per property owners no matter how many property they own and pay full maintenance, the last point the eligibility of the voter which they should be fully and accurately paid up for one year prier to the election was up held. The funny thing is on the night of the election some residents of Costambar voted and did not meet the requirement of voter’s eligibility. Why would none payers trust APC??
APC claimed the collection rate for 2009 was at 72% yet the security guards have not have uniforms for one year. The year end payroll had to be covered by last minute donations. The real rate is 27.8%. Why APC covers it up? Why none payers should trust APC?
Jose was the president and now 1 vice president, Yash was a vocal and now the president and they have not paid their fees accurately. Jose for all the past years before 2008. Yash for 2007 and 2008, and he obtained a letter from Betania which it merely said in the letter that he pays his fees, but this is a cheap lawyers trick for not asking her to indicate for what years and how much for each year .All the diplomas and certificates can not be replaced for honesty. As Abraham Lincoln said “ you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. A long time resident of Costambar told me.
“ everyone wants to be in the boat but none wants to rock it” so true. Why would none payers trust APC?

These are my suggestions.
1-Correcting and improving the constitution and the election by-laws.
2-Board of Directors.
With all due respect to our new members of the board whom three are in Costambar only part of the year and want to work from abroad, this will only work if the income of the community was steady and all pay. Then it would be very easy to plan and complete projects from afar.. Unfortunately no one wants to see that this is a job, a fulltime job that board members have to be here most of the time to do it properly.
Two members have to give their time to maintenance Dep. and make sure the time and money are being spent by the workers correctly.
Three members and three volunteers needed to work with security, first to train and make sure of the implementation of the program. Secondly to make sure it is followed. Sandro got tired and quite because he was alone and the board did not accept any volunteers I suggested, yet they had not any volunteers of their own..
The last four members should give their time to find volunteers to help them to hold street meetings to increase paying members.
Eventually in the future Costambar should have a president and eight board members form 8 sections of Costambar who will represent all corners of project

3-HONESTY
Having board of directors that are paid up their maintenance fees ACCURETLY FOR ALL THE YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN RESIDENT OF COSTAMBAR. .
4- Reaching out to ALL Costambar residents.
In the beginning just giving a flyer at the gate is not enough. A major effort of going door to door listening, truly listening should be done, then inviting every one to a group meeting.
Three meetings, one in English one in Italian/Spanish and one in German. Then and only then you will have the point views and ideas of the majority. Some will tell you they have tried it in the past and it did not work. Imagine if NASA stopped trying after their first failure. It needs to be tried and tried again. Just having only the same 30 people all the time will not work.
5-Security.
First and foremost get one the most corrupt police force out of Costambar. This is a must. Once you bring them in you will never be able to get them out. Costambar will be drug dealers heaven.
Secondly you can have the best trained security personal at the gate but if the preemptor of Costambar is not secured there is no chance for a safe community. Costambar has been closed off from the old hotel side, all we need on that side is a 24 hours security guard to petrol the street in front of the old hotel all the way down to the beach with a radio ,a flash light and a gun. The cost can be shared by the immediate residents of that area and APC.
On the other side of Costambar need two security personal 24 hours to stop anyone coming inside. One posted on Calle Sanches just below the green gate and the next around the end of calle Colon by the gate. The cost can be shared by the resident of that area and APC.
A complete list of all the residents, business owners along with their addresses and phone numbers should be given to the main gate. Only the visitors of residents or businesses will enter Costambar with car.
The revolving gate at the end of calle Colon can be removed and installed at the main gate. This can be worked out with Mr. Vallarino since the revolving door will be on Mr. Vallarino’s land but I have spoken about this with him and he has shown some interest . ALL visitors to the beach and workers will have to enter and exit Costambar through the revolving door which they will not be able to bring their coolers , B.B.Qs and loud speakers and anything else the workers carry which might be stolen. This action also will cut the amount of car traffic tremendously, thus will help with wear and tear of the streets. At the same time the long distance walk to the beach will reduces the number of visitors to the beach.
6-Beach.
Beach cleaning is a big job, but it has been done. 17 loads of garbage were removed by construction trucks 3 years ago. Now only need a crew of10 to walk from one point to other end of the beach for one day. Once this is done then need a person 3 times a week to walk the beach and three times a week to walk the streets to keep Costambar clean.
We are all happy that are getting a new asphalted road. In the summer season we have about 700 to 1000 cars at the beach each Saturday. or Sunday with new road you can be sure that number will double.
The other project to make beach more pleasant is to build a 3 feet wall all along the curb by the beach from one end to the other to prevent cars from parking on the sand. Cofari has the same wall. A cost study was done about this by Mike Hane when he was the president, the papers should be at APC office.
7-Lighting
There should be light at each post and the cost should be shared by APC and the resident of respective street.
Many lamps that has been stolen by thieves or Edenorte workers, this can be very easily stopped if the security checks every car and truck that enters or leaves Costambar to make sure they are not driving out with lamps off the posts.
All vegetable fields in empty lots should be eliminated. It only brings garbage, rats, snakes and unwanted people to harvest it.
8-Garbage.
As much as it is inviting and cost effective to ask the city hall to collect the garbage, by them coming in we will lose the static of being a privet community. This is a cost that residents should shoulder.
Obviously all of these ideas can not work if all residents of Costambar are not included in the process.
There are many dishearten residents and dishonesty of some board members has not help the matter.
I wish all of you good luck and apologize for writing a long letter, I am sure if my English was better letter would be shorter.
In Closing, as of March 1st 2010 we will be paying our maintenance fee to Costa de Ambar Inc.
Aida Sosa

Naughty Naughty Mark lol but true

I hear Thursdays' meeting was a great success ...

http://theanchorcostambar.blogspot.com/2010/02/place-another-nail-in-coffin.html

Just wanted to remind everybody about the very important meetings scheduled for this week:

1- Wednesday February 17th 2010 at 4 PM at Villa Marlena.
APC will be presenting its proposal for the 2010 budget, along with new reduced maintenance dues for ALL !!


2- Thursday February 18th 2010 at 4 PM, at Villa Marlena again.
Pat Krutchen (Head of APC's newly formed Long Range Planning Committee) will be holding a gathering for Costambar residents. He wants to hear from ALL of you, particular the alleged dissidents. He wants to know what residents love and hate about this community, aiming at making it better. This is your chance folks.

Do not miss any of those two important gatherings.

R