Anthem elections set for ’07by Kathleen Stinson                                                     

ANTHEM – Homeowners associations in Anthem are in the process of electing new board of directors members, moving from developer to resident representative boards.

Parkside Community Association., the Village at Anthem Condominiums Association. and the Country Club Community Association. each have multiple openings on their boards.  Ballots for these openings  were mailed to homeowners in early December and are due back in the mail by Jan. 5.

Twelve candidates are vying for three board seats in the Parkside HOA, according to Steve Peterman, executive director of the Anthem community associations.

“The community is transitioning in the first quarter of next year from developer representatives on the board to resident representative control,” Peterman said, referring to the Parkside and Country Club associations.

“Twelve candidates–we’re thrilled about it. It’s nice to see people become engaged,” Peterman added. 

Parkside has two developer seats open and one resident seat that is expiring, he said. The seats are two‑year terms. Parkside includes all housing developments except the Country Club Association. and the condominiums, and consists of about 6,000 dwellings.

Each housing unit has one vote per seat.

The Village at Anthem Condominiums Association., representing 210 units, transferred from a developer to resident member board early in 2006. All three condominiums seats are currently up for election to a one‑year term.

The Country Club Community Association. currently has two seats open and is also transitioning from developer to resident board in this election. The association represents 2,825 dwelling units. Eight candidates are running for the Country Club board.

The Anthem Community Council will hold its elections in December 2007, Peterman advised. At this time there are seven members on the board. The council is seeking two candidates from Parkside to expand the council to nine members.

Currently, the council consists of three homeowner representatives and four developer reps. With this election, the council will transition from developer to resident representative boards.

“Because of the population in Parkside, it was deemed appropriate that Parkside” fill the two additional seats, Peterman stated.

When the council elections are held in 2007, the condominiums will fill one seat, with three seats from Parkside, three from the Country Club, one seat filled by a commercial property owner and one at‑large (appointment), for a total of nine council board members.

The homeowners associations protect and administer neighborhood interests such as the pocket parks in the case of Parkside, Peterman pointed out. In the Country Club, the association administers such assets as the gates and private streets.

By contrast, he noted the Community Council owns the major assets, such as the Community Center, Anthem Community Park and the waterfalls, and is more broad‑based in its interests.

For example, the council could represent the community as a whole in the proposed water rate‑increase case, Peterman said.

Reach the reporter at kathleen@thedesertadvocate.com.