RCA Hosts RA Candidates for Q&A
Who are the Candidates for RA’s Board? Here is RCA’s 2010 Forum!
Organized in 1967, the Reston Citizens Association’s (RCA) primary purpose is to advocate for our community and disseminate useful community information to its membership which consists of EVERY Reston resident and property owner.
RCA has posed 3 questions to each of the 10 candidates who are running for 3 open board seats on the Board of the Reston Association, the home owners administrative organization. The ballots for the RA Board of Directors election will be mailed to homeowners and residents Friday, March 5th and must be returned by 5PM Friday, April 2nd.
The Questions:
1. Should RA collaborate with other citizen groups (such as ARCH & RCA) to define the planning principles under which future development must abide?
2. Do you believe the current structure of the Task Force as set up by Supervisor Hudgins is fair and represents the best interests of Reston residents?
3. Given the defeat of the RA headquarters referendum and vigorous opposition to the Browns Chapel recreation center plan, what suggestions do you have for improving communications and procedures to make RA more responsive to residents' needs?
At-Large Candidates: (Everyone votes for 1)
Rod Koozmin
1. I think ARCH and RCA are great resources for the citizens of Reston and am eager to hear their insights as I think all board members would be but RA is singularly responsible to the citizens of Reston in making board decisions to define the future planning principals under which future development must abide.
2. I would like to comment on commenting as a Candidate. We have been given 150 words by the RA, 100 words by the Connection, 60 words by the RCA and 20 seconds again by the RA. Yet we candidates are getting more than anyone else in Reston for which we are grateful. Clearly there is a need for more communication between citizens in Reston. If there were more communication the task force and the structure…
3. My main focus in running as a candidate is that Reston needs two way communications both between citizens and citizens to the board. In the past we have mostly had intuitional communications from the RA that seemed hierarchal. Virginia mandates that home owners associations, which in many ways the Reston Association is, should provide a means for citizens to communicate.
Joe Leighton
1. Yes
2. There should have been more women appointed to the Task Force. Otherwise I think it is fair representation. I think the RA, RCA and Arch representatives are great persons to be on the committee. In addition another member of the Task Force is a good friend of mine who thinks like I do.
3. We need to eliminate the haste makes waste policy by having a large number of Informal Board community wide meetings with two way dialogue. The meetings would take place at the pools, before Regular Board meetings and at a site in each district. Also the community wide projects should get started at the committee level instead of the Board level.
David Robinson
1. Yes. I believe it to be very important for RA to collaborate with other citizen groups to ensure a more comprehensive review of the impact of the development plans as well as the options available to Reston residents. However, this collaboration should be well coordinated to maximize the value of the very talented volunteers working diligently on their respective committees.
2. The structure of the Task Force is set up to incorporate the input of the affected parties. Regardless of the structure, the Task Force needs to be able to determine the scope of the development, the options available to protect the values that Reston offers, and clearly communicate this information to all parties so the appropriate action can take place.
3. There are many ways technology can be used to improve communications; starting with identifying the preferred means of communication from RA (i.e., mail, email, twitter, blogs, combinations, etc.). However, equally important is delivering the information in a way that RA members can identify the key points to form an opinion - without having to read hundreds of pages of material.
Patrick Shipp
1. Reston Association should continue to work with our community’s civic organizations. Reston provides it’s residents the opportunity to participate in representative democracy where public opinion has a real impact. It is the responsibility of RA, as an elected body, to make decisions in the best interest of Reston as a community.
2. Every single Reston resident has the opportunity to voice their opinion, offer suggestions, and ultimately, participate in the Reston Master Plan. Members of the Task Force will have to be held accountable by Reston residents, as will Supervisor Hudgins. There are public meetings throughout 2010, and all documents related to the study are available online or by visiting the Fairfax County Government Center.
3. RA meetings have been scheduled and residents who wish to participate should attend these meetings. Agendas and minutes of those meetings are posted on RA’s website. With that said, it is the responsibility of individual Board Members to reach out to their constituents, as well. This outreach, through editorials, emails, and community engagement, will improve communication between the Board and residents.
Lake Anne / Tall Oaks District Candidates (District residents only-vote for 1)
Kevin Danaher
1. RA should collaborate with any and all citizen groups that share the vision and goals of the Reston Association Board of Directors on a given issue, especially future development. Since many of the members of ARCH and RCA are also RA members, the views of both groups must be considered thoughtfully in defining those vision and goals.
2. The structure of the task force is fair, but it certainly isn’t perfect. The membership of the task force is balanced, but I had hoped that IPAR would have representation. The calendar of meetings will demand a keenly focused approach by the task force. I expect the results to be contentious but ultimately be in the best interest of Reston.
3. The RA is responsive to the residents. The planning for the indoor recreation center was stopped due to residents’ opposition. The headquarters referendum failed because the residents didn’t support it. I don’t understand why these actions are considered to be unresponsive. My process suggestion for the future with any possible changes is to begin with input from the affected neighborhood.
Ken Knueven
1. Yes, it is incumbent upon RA to represent the best interests of its stakeholders – the homeowners and residents of Reston. In addition, this collaboration must be managed in an open and impartial manner. Each citizen group represents a unique vision, mission, and need; sometimes overlapping, and sometimes not. As a result, conflicts of interest must be avoided at all costs.
2. As long as it adheres to its primary purpose: “To provide a vehicle whereby the community can ensure that the development of Reston as a planned residential community (PRC) follows the founding principles.” There are many bona fide, and yet conflicting, interests involved – they all need to be heard – they need to respect our deed, our history and our vision.
3. As a business leader, transparency and accountability are ingrained principles I adhere to. I state in my candidacy statement, I will: “Introduce and promote transparency and accountability guidelines within the RA decision-making process.” RA must behave as a high-performance organization, where all decision making is carried out publicly and the interests of RA and the community are made freely available.
Guy Rando
1. The Citizens’ Advisory Work Group #1, of which I am a member, has been recognized by Fairfax County. We presented our planning principles at the last community Task Force meeting. Reston Association presented nothing. We would like Reston Association to adopt the planning principles of the Citizens’ Advisory Work Group #1. Our plans will provide the best framework for redevelopment.
2. Absolutely not. The Task Force was designed by Supervisor Hudgins to represent developers. Reston Association represents 60,000 people in Reston and has only one vote on the Task Force. The majority of votes are controlled by developers, their attorneys, and task force members who do business with developers. The Task Force composition fragments Reston into P&Z, RA, ARCH and RCA.
3. The question is how do you change Reston Association so that it works as it was designed to work—a representative homeowners association. Right now RA hides information from the homeowners. What have we been told about redevelopment? Nothing. They need to tell us what’s going on and find out what it is that WE want to do about it.
North Point District (District residents only-vote for 1)
Mike Collins
1. Yes. Planning often reflects government by whoever shows up and certainly RA and other citizens groups should show up here. We must collaborate so that others are not left to discern community opinion. Let us sing with one voice when we can. With experience in planning, community development, and law, and my communications skills, I can contribute to this process.
2. Regardless of its structure or composition, the Task Force needs help dealing with this rushed and somewhat illogical process of reviewing four special study areas before the Reston-wide plan is updated. Community groups must participate but be prepared to take independent action if the outcome appears grossly unfavorable. Doing both puts us in the best position to negotiate.
3. While I don’t believe these events indicate the degree to which RA is “responsive to residents needs,” I agree that both issues may have been resolved differently if RA had communicated more effectively. I pledge to seek more input and provide more information earlier through technology and open meetings. When opposition appears, I will encourage honest and respectful debate.
Peter Greenberg
1. I’m not comfortable making a commitment at this point on your direct question. I believe the Association should play a proactive role in helping shape the outcome of the Master Planning process with significant input from the Association’s members. It is premature to make statements beyond that until the board has a chance to define its posture.
2. No it is not fair and poorly represents Association members, and in particular single-family residents. I am open to different arrangements, but don’t like what we have.
3. I was at the center of the Recreation Center fight. I am one of the many residents whose needs were not dealt with sensitively. My suggestion is to directly approach the most immediately affected stakeholders, especially homeowners, early in the process, and be as honest and forthcoming as possible. The legal rights of individual homeowners have to be respected.
Rengin Morro
1. I can’t see any reason why RA should not collaborate with other citizen groups in defining the planning principles. In fact, if RA doesn’t communicate with its members and the greater community, it would contradict its own strategic goals and objectives as well as its history of cooperating with citizens through its committees. When elected, I will ensure input from all Reston residents.
2. Since Supervisor Hudgins is not obliged by Virginia law to set up a Task Force to plan the future of Reston, the fact that she has shows good will. However, it is our duty as Restonians, as groups or individual residents, to safeguard our interests. When elected, I will protect every Reston residents’ interest and make sure their voices are heard.
3. As a professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, I believe there is always room to improve communication. I have first-hand experience on how lack of communication might lead to conflicts and the expertise on how to prevent that. When elected, I will work with the communications committee to launch an online “involvement forum” to ensure the RA is inclusive of every resident’s needs.
