The Chaska Herald submitted questions to candidates running for the three open positions on the Jonathan Association board of directors last Friday.
Due to the unique format of this year’s election, we asked for candidate responses by Monday in order to publish them in this week’s issue, just as the ballots were being received in the mail by homeowners.
The candidates written responses are below in the order in which they were received. Some answers have been edited for length.
Note: The Herald was unable to contact candidate Steve Brinks prior to publication. Any late responses will be posted online when received.
CANDIDATES
Maria Awes
Age: 30
Address & neighborhood: 2044 Schoolmaster Drive in Clover Ridge
Family: Husband Andy, daughter Lily, son Henry
Job: Investigative journalist at WCCO-TV
Experience that would be helpful on the Jonathan Association Board of Directors: As an investigative journalist, I demand accountability.
I would do the same thing if elected to the Jonathan Board. Accountability is one of the key things lacking with the current regime.
As treasurer of the Chaska/Victoria MOMS Club, I am responsible for monitoring funds and seeing that money is spent on initiatives to improve the lives of others. I would make it my mission to spend residents’ dues to improve Jonathan, not further its demise.
Mike Liebe
Age: 47
Address & neighborhood: 112002 Warner Circle in Neighborhood 3
Family: Wife Linda, son Matthew
Job: Senior staff accountant
Experience that would be helpful on the Jonathan Association Board of Directors: Previously a professional property manager, as well as the controller for a large metro property management company.
Jacqueline Bensman
Age: 31
Address & neighborhood: 112235 Hutchins Court in Neighborhood 8
Family: Married, step-mother of two, mother of two
Job: I own my own real estate & property management business, along with my husband.
Experience that would be helpful on the Jonathan Association Board of Directors: I have run our business, along side of my husband, for the past 10 years. It takes dedication, a lot of hard work, and a vision for the future to accomplish things in this trade. I feel that these qualities are necessary and I am qualified for the job.
Tom Davis
Did not provide photo
Age: Did not provide
Address & neighborhood: Autumn Woods (did not provide address)
Family: Did not provide
Job: Owner of an engineering consulting company
Experience that would be helpful on the Jonathan Association Board of Directors: Five-plus years of research on the Jonathan Association, two-plus years on the board.
Steve Brinks
Address & neighborhood: 1366 Romeo Court in Clover Field
Unable to contact. Q&A
1. Should the Jonathan Association exist? Why or why not?
Awes: The Jonathan Association should absolutely exist, but residents need to get more for their money. The mission of the association is clear: better the lives of those in the community. Unfortunately, that has become lost in the bureaucracy of board members who want out for personal reasons. Many residents don’t understand that, even if they didn’t pay dues to Jonathan, they would pay dues to another master association and that could cost them even more.
Liebe: YES. Jonathan is, and should remain, the great community to raise a family in. We all own a piece of the association and it would be nonsensical to throw our investment away.
Bensman: Yes, of course Jonathan should exist. It has been a vital part of the community, and it would be damaging to the community as well as the city if the association were dissolved.
Davis: A better question is “In what form should the JA exist?” The JA is outdated, is extremely inequitable in the delivery of services, and causes the city to be inequitable in delivery of city services.
Most people would prefer not to have the JA, but dissolving it is very difficult. The best avenue now is to change it so that those who want out can get out. The current board is working on this solution.
2. What are the most pressing issues facing the Jonathan Association?
Awes: The possibility of dissolution is at the top of the list. Jonathan needs to look out for its future and part of that means reaching into the past.
This is a community that used to thrive with street dances, block parties and neighborhood clean-ups. Part of that vitality has been lost and I am determined to get it back. We cannot let the ineffectiveness of a few keep the community from realizing its full potential.
Liebe: A board that continually ignores their fiduciary duty to the homeowners. When they justify their actions based on the votes of four property owners (apartments that are for-profit inside our non-profit association) vs. 300-plus residents of our community, it is very obvious where their loyalty is.
Bensman: The most pressing issue is the small minority of people (the current board) who are trying to voice their opinions as if they were the voice of the people to dissolve the association.
No one has asked the homeowners their opinions. Every person that has e-mailed or spoken with me is in support of keeping the association. The most pressing issue is to vote people on the board who represent the people, not personal agendas.
Davis: Some neighborhoods get no services or amenities from the JA and badly want out.
It appears that the JA added many neighborhoods since 1980 without proper authority.
The original neighborhoods have most of the amenities and require most of the maintenance.
The board must deal with these problems and at the same time deal with a small but very vocal group that disagrees with these facts and would prefer to maintain the status quo.
3. How would you improve communication between the board of directors and the residents of the Jonathan Association?Awes: Written communication, in the form of a newsletter either posted at the mail stations or mailed to residents is the minimum that should be done.
The Web site for the Association should be revamped. I want everyone to understand what’s going on in Jonathan from an objective standpoint.
Residents should have a forum to express questions and I think a Web forum or editorial column in a newsletter would be a good idea.
Liebe: Bring back the News and Views on a quarterly basis and update the Web site info.
Bensman: Communication is a key issue because there has been none with the current board. I would like to see a monthly newsletter go out to each member. I would also like to see the monthly newsletter put on cable television and then put onto the Web so that it can be viewed through several avenues.
I have a Web site that I would love to have people visit and share their comments with me. www.enhancejonathan.com [2].
Davis: Most communication from the JA goes straight into the trash. Past issues of the “News and Views” included a large amount of content that had nothing to do with the association and was also available from other sources.
Recently, important information has been sent out via postcard. The current board is transitioning from mailings to a mostly Web-based and e-mail communication system.