OUR COMMUNITY

A blog about life, current issues and governance at Cimarron Hills


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Replacement for Quickpass?

The replacement of the Quickpass system has lit up our community message like no issue in almost two years.  Residents posting on the matter are universally unhappy.  This is my letter to our community manager on the subject:



Ms. Tatman, good day.
We received your letter regarding the proposals to replace all or part of the residents’ vehicle access system.  Due to a business commitment I shall be unable to attend Thursday’s Board meeting, so I will be obliged if you will pass this e-mail to the Board verbatim.

1.        The proposal to require residents to have access transponders permanently affixed to their vehicles is arrogant, presumptuous and poorly thought through.   It is flatly unacceptable.  Out HOA has no right or domain to fix anything permanently to our vehicles.  I might also add that for those of us owning property in CA, to which we often drive, it presents something of a legal problem since CA vehicle code § 26708 (a) (1) states: “A person shall not drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows.”  I own a home in FL too and have a car there.  Suction cups work fine for the toll transponders there.  They’re good enough for Cimarron Hills access transponders.  Also, I doubt you will guarantee the eternal life of these transponders.  Permanent fixture means that the driver, car and transponder will have to be in the same place to fix any problem.  The mail currently works fine for our existing transponders.  Such a use of time may not bother the majority of retirees on our Board.  Some of us have jobs and businesses to run.
2.       You say we may only have two transponders?  My home has a three-car garage. I have paid for three transponders.  Why do you think it is acceptable to short-change me?
3.       I have lived at my home here for more than several years.  You receive money from my bank every month.  There is no reason for me to produce you photo ID to let you know who lives at my home or to obtain access to my community.  I’m sorry, but once again this portrays an arrogant and presumptuous attitude.

This project needs a radical re-think. 

I might also point out that, on December 3rd 2012 at 2:15pm you wrote:
“Trident Security will be coming on board.  There will be a substantial savings without compromising service. “
And, later at 3:07pm the same day:
“I wanted to clarify that it is only the contracts with Safeguard that involve access control with the security officers at the guardhouse and the evening patrol that are being changed.  The transponders that allow you access into the community and how you set up your visitors are done through Quickpass and will remain the same. Trident works with the Quickpass system just as Safeguard does.”
I don’t expect it was your intention to intentionally mislead the residents to be sanguine about a cost-free change in our security arrangements, but that is what you did.  I distinctly remember Safeguard holding out to us that Quickpass was a proprietary system of theirs.  Other persons now on the Board were present at that meeting.  It stretches our credulity to suppose that our new security firm would not need to replace an access system controlled by their predecessor and competitor.  Members of our Board either knew that or should have known it.   So, having told us some two and a half months ago that the transition would be cost-free, now we find it isn’t.  If I missed it, how much is this new access control project going to cost?

You should not read this e-mail to say that I am against all changes to our access control system.  I have consistently championed security at our gate, and can be persuaded that changes might need to be made and money spent.  But not this project as planned. 

By the way, on the subject of security, the Safeguard guards who did not recognize us had a password in the system to verify identity if we drove through the guarded side of the entrance.  The Trident guards just take our word for it.  Not good.

Regards
Anthony Humpage