Rana Goodman

Meet 

Rana Goodman

Affiliations:

Henderson Senior Citizen Advisory Commission 6 years
Former President, Whitney Ranch Homeowner Assoc. 5 years
Non-paid lobbyist/Nevada Legislature 8 years
Chosen by Nevada Supreme Court Justice James W. Hardesty to serve on Nevada Guardianship Commission (1.5 years)
Professional Experience: 
Political Editor, The Vegas Voice Magazine 5 years
Owner/Operator AAA Flag, Sign & Banner 12 years
Property Manager, Carnaby Square Shopping Center 20 years
Columnist, LA Herald Examiner (2 years)
Education:
Fashion Design/Commercial Art: Woodbury College
Member:
Formerly SCA Women’s Club: co-fund raising chair 3 years
Member:
Formerly Current Events Club 4 years
SCA homeowner/resident 16 years (NV. Resident since childhood)

What people have to say about Rana Goodman:

Foundation Assisting Seniors: Awarded 2019 Special Achievement Award for "the hard work dedicated to seniors"

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To the owners in Sun City Anthem,
I have known Rana Goodman for over 20 years, as a neighbor, Whitney Ranch HOA board member, and community advocate.
She exhibits all the tenacity and positive attitude you could want in governing a community with a variety of needs and desires. Being on the board of a home owners association is the hardest, most thankless, non-paying job anyone could have, but those who seek to participate are there to serve.
Rana is a testimony to this effort, and you would be lucky to have her on your board.
You will get a knowledgeable, sincere and honest member.
Protecting your property values, community interests and the safety of its citizens is critical, and a huge responsibility for every member of the board.
With RANA, you will get 110% more than most board members give.
She doesn’t just show up, she commits.
I am honored to know her and have her as a Whitney Ranch owner and former board member.
Yours,
SARAH LEE MARKS
Whitney Ranch Owners Association VP

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I commend Rana Goodman for her dedication and commitment to improving the quality of life in our community. I can enthusiastically recommend Rana in her campaign for election to the Home Owners Association Board In Sun City Anthem.
Lorraine Hunt-Bono
Former Lt. Governor
State of Nevada

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Got a question for Rana Goodman?
Send it to:

scanewtraditions@gmail.com

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Buddy Greenfield Compliance Question Response:

For many, many years we have had “reactive enforcement,” if a resident complained (filed a blue card) then compliance would check the home and if needed, send a violation letter. This new system of paying a new employee $40,000 per year to cruise each village LOOKING for violations is a total waste of money, in my opinion, and attempting to cure a problem that does not exists. Even if it is a violation in our “declaration” by Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS)chapter 116, the board does not have. To enforce a rule if is “not in the best interest of the community.” Plants in a pot, silk flowers hanging by a front door, a chair under a tree in the front yard etc. do not harm the community in any way. 

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Diane R. Restaurant Question Response:

I have no problem with having another restaurant in the Center; my issue is with the many subsidies that have been offered. I also believe that any  subsidy should be for a fixed duration, after which a business to be successful, must be able to sustain itself . As a private commercial business, that should be more than sufficient in my opinion.   

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Mel Verly Compensation Question Response:

Mel, although the payroll and benefits of the employees of the association are categorized as “personnel records” there is an exception listed in statute stating that unit owners can review contracts, salaries and work hours of employees.  Although I have not, at this time requested those documents, it is common knowledge that our GM’s starting salary was in excess of $250,00 per year plus bonuses.

Many residents and media have stated that this is more than the City Manager, mayor, and many other top ranking officials receive and considering the staff at her command to do the “heavy lifting” of SCA, in my opinion it is far to excessive.

Regarding your question #2: I would want to review the GM and key employee’s contracts and then investigate the salary of like employees at the only other HOA this size and their duties. If our pay scale is, as we believe, “over the top” I would want the board to review their options. 

I do know that the volunteer staff that was in place with the arrival of our GM were removed by her and to me, discarding and refusing help from competent resident volunteers is both hurtful and a waste of association funds.

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Frank Lewis Alternative Restaurant Option Question Response:

I would very VERY interested in investigating this idea and it concerns me that the board didn't at least discuss such an option at a board meeting. It would have been very interesting to hear the input from those in attendance that they may have received. 

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Dan Anderson Response to Foundation Assisting Seniors question: 

As they were forced to leave SCA property, SCA management mandated that The Foundation (FAS) could not have advertising space in the Spirit, something many other on-resident advertisers are welcome to do. FAS can so longer have space in our facilities in spite of the fact that most of their leadership are residents here.

Management also purchased a large amount of costly medical items fo the Community Service Club in order to divert the SCA residents from “needing the services of FAS.”   

This was, in my opinion a total waste of our funds.         

 Since many of the residents of SCA rely on FAS, and still do, however now they must locate and go to the new FAS offices for the help they need.

When those residents phone FAS they still get the delivery of things they need to use.

Community service is their mission, but claiming that “FAS serves residents who are not SCA members” defeats that vital spirit.

ONLY, St. Rose Hospital, and many others are welcome to come to SCA and allowed space for “community service", thus, again in my opinion, it is a slap in the face to our resident members of FAS.

They have, and still do serve many of us, and have done plenty of good for this community, yet they have been blocked access to our facility.

I feel that is unfair to both SCA and FAS.

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John Restaurant Question Response:

John, under NO conditions would I consider such an agreement. What you didn’t list was the $250,000.00 per year subsidy on top of everything else. The only concession I would go along with would be free rent, but on a limited amount of time.

I say that because a “for profit business” needs to make it or break it on their own merits. If the food and service is good, if the residents are treated well, there is no logical reason why it should not succeed.

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Joyce response to GM(COO) contract:

Joyce, as far as confidentiality, I would go with what the Nevada HOA Statutes (NRS116) says and I don't remember anything stating that these documents were excluded from what we are entitled to see.

What follows is from NRS116, please note "exceptions":

NRS 116.31175

Maintenance and availability of books, records, and other papers of association: General requirements: exceptions, general records concerning certain violations; enforcement by Ombudsman; limitations on amount that may be charged to conduct review.

1. Except as otherwise provided i subsection 4, the executive board of an association shall, upon written request, of a unit's owner, make available the books, records and other papers of the association for review at the business location not to exceed 60 miles from the physical location of the common-interest community and during the regular working hours of the association, including, and without limitation:

(a) the financial statement of the association;

(b)  the budgets of the association required to be prepared pursuant to NRS 116.31151;

(c) The study of the reserves and the associaiton requidred to be conducted persuant to NRS 116.31152; and

(d) All contracts to which the association is a party and all records filed with a court relating to a civil or criminal action to which the association is a party.

4. The provisions of subsection 1 do not apply to:

(b) The records of the association relating to another unit's owner, including, without limitation, any architectural plan or specification submitted by a unit's owner to the association during an approval process required by the governing documents, excepts for those records described in subsection 5; and

(c) Any document, including, without limitation, minutes of an executive board meeting, a reserve study, and a budget, if the document:

(1) is in the process of being developed for final consideration by the executive board; and

(2) Has not been placed on an agenda for final approval by the executive board.

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Sam Association Attorney Presence Question Response:

Hello Sam.

I too was at the meeting and was appalled to hear Adam Clarkson, the Association Attorney, say that it was necessary to implement this enforcement because it was mandated by both Federal and Nevada State laws.

I have no knowledge of of ANY federal laws covering HOAs, known legally as "Common Interest Communities".

I believe this attorney manipulates Nevada Revised Statutes 116 (NRS 116) on these communities to say what he wants them to say.

It looks like our administration believes him because is his simply being a lawyer !

He ignored the fact that an association Board of Directors may choose to NOT enforce any rule in our governing documents "if is not in the best interest of the community". That is in NRS116.

Yes, the bottome line answer is that if the New Tradition Team is elected, we will be looking into "over the top" legal fees and the position of this attorney.

Thanks for your question.

Rana

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Lee Clarification of Utilizing Residence Expertise Response:

I am aware of many residents in our community with varied professional backgrounds who have offered many times over the years to advise and help in any way with issues that have come up in SCA. 

Time and time again they have been rejected. I believe volunteers are the life’s blood of this community, by using the knowledge of those living here we will save a great deal of money spent on outside NRS hired to do the same thing. We hope to create a data base of those wiling and able to lend their expertise in each field and call on them as needed. 

Rana 

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Susan Inquiry regarding $85,000 Removal Election Expense

That is absolutely not true Susan, and thank you for asking this question. By state law residents are permitted to ask for a recall if they are not happy with the actions of a board member (as Anthem Country Club did a year or so ago).

A specific number of residents must support the recall in order for the association to move the recall effort forward, as was the case last year, and that was accomplished by obtaining the necessary petition signatures in a mere five week period.

Over 40% of those who voted in the removal election wished to remove those on the ballot which included Rex Weddle, an incumbent running for reelection.

As a matter of record, he received the highest number of votes for removal.

It was the decision of the board (with the blessing of the attorney, one must assume) to give the task to an outside accounting firm rather than let our election committee handle it.

The board and their followers like to place the blame for the cost of that move on their opponents just as, in years past, the boards (plural) claimed legal fees were so high because some residents filed complaints with the state ombudsman’s office.

If you do a thorough search, you will NEVER find a single word written or said that any supporters of the removal  election EVER suggested an outside party be used. In all cases, those who supported the recall ALWAYS suggested it be handled locally.

None of the supporters were in any position to authorize an outside party to do anything, much less spend $85,000.  Those who authorized it and signed the checks are. That's common sense.

It is always easier to pass the buck than it is to face facts and place blame at the feet of the people making that decision.

Rana

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Brian Ehlers Response to Returning Administrative Operations of SCA Clubs to Their Members:

Brian, thank you for your information on the Olive Trees, but my comment on that was simply, if Del Webb could plant them up and down Anthem Parkway and Sun City Anthem Parkway, why did they put it in our CC&Rs that we, the residents, would be barred from doing so?

Getting back to your main question, Administration's rule about a year or so ago that the clubs must have insurance when they do an event is a perfect example of returning administration operations of SCA Clubs to their members.

It can be very costly and after much flack from the residents, management finally purchased a TULIP policy at the suggestion of a Club.

What is a TULIP Program? The TULIP Program provides low cost general liability insurance to “third party” users of various venues and facilities for events. It protects both the user and the facility against claims by guests who may be injured as a result of attending an event.

At that time I met with about a dozen presidents of the Clubs and all felt as I did regarding the insurance.

At least that rule has been settled, and what could have been an expensive problem, was solved simply by a Club's input.

This is just an example of the Clubs regaining control of their own destiny, and solving a problem as a result.

Rana

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Jackie response to Board meetings:

Great question Jackie:

I believe the meeting can be considerably shorter. For example, the COO’s management report is posted in the Spirit, and in the Monday e-blast. So since everyone may read it who opens the Spirit why not give a brief synopsis at the meeting and done.
The Treasurer’s report is at the door in printed packages for anyone who wants to take them and study them, also should just be a synopsis and a one wanting more info can take the packet.

As for answering at member comment, in my mind it is not enough to listen to a member speak, one must HEAR what they have to say too.

Many years ago a female board member made just the statement you did, “we may have to listen to them but we don’t have to do what they say.”
That attitude would never be acceptable if I was elected to the Board.

I’d love to see the meetings more open and “resident friendly.”

Rana 

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 Michael Response to Board Addressing Issues of Resident Concerns

There are a few things I would try and get my fellow board members to do in order to know about resident issues;  I'd like to re-establish the Town Hall Meetings where two board members would rotate attending each one.

The board would invite residents to join us in our Town Hall and freely air their issues.

Many years ago a board member said "we may have to listen to them, but we don't have to do what they say".

I propose not only listening and discussing what they say, but also actually hearing them too.

If their issues are valid, as a Board, we should do what we can to address and solve those issues.

I would also like the Board to see (and read) blue cards (now vanilla color) then have staff contact and invite the resident who filed it to come to the town hall and see what we can do to assist them.

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James Response to Sun City Anthem Restaurant E-Blast

Good morning James:

Regarding the question regarding another restaurant in anthem center;

As a resident/customer I have often eaten at the restaurant each five times it changed ownership.

I agree, it would be convenient having another in that space, what I adamantly don’t agree with are the massive subsidies the board offered the G2G group that wanted to open there.

While I have no problem with no rent while the place gets established,  it is still a private enterprise and, in my opinion must stand on “it’s own two feet.”

Offering “the moon” with $250,000 per year subsidy, plus new TVs, advertising, linens, entertainment, exclusivity, and so on is over the top.

I feel if the food is good, prices for catering fair and good service most clubs will use the restaurant for events.

However, in the past, giving exclusivity hampered many clubs with their events and the prices were not conducive to their event planning.

In my mind a client base, be it restaurant success or any business, is earned, not just provided because they are there.

Rana 

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Dixie Response to “Has Self-Management Made SCA a better place:

Dixie, the idea of self management made sense to me at the time it was first discussed since the former management company was not doing a a great job.
For example they kept supplying us with Community Association Managers who seemed quite new to the job, rather than more experienced ones considering the size of our association.
Their sister company was also our collection agency and that did not sit well with that either.
Self management was to save the association money and also enable us to oversee it.
My hesitation to say this is wonderful is because we seem to be spending so much on employee salaries, benefits, bonuses etc. and under a management company these expenses are part of the package.

It is hard to evaluate these two issues and much more in order to give you my best thoughts without being close up in the trenches so to speak. Bottom line, I really am not sure if I like it or not. 
Rana

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Candidate Rana Goodman Addresses Sun City Anthem Property Owners as ballots for the Sun City Anthem Board election will be sent on Friday, March 29, 2019:

I ran for the board of directors because for some time I believed that we needed “fresh blood” with new ways fo looking at many of our issues. 

Not only have I been self employed for most of my adult life, I have also studied HOA issues, (NRS116 & 116A), tracked much of the legislation, and lobbied the legislators in our state for quite a few years.

In the five years that I was president of the Whitney Ranch HOA not one complaint was filed with the Real Estate Division, (NRED). I feel that this was because we were a “resident friendly” community. We settled contentious issues with resident input including a Class action law suit against the builder in which we were extremely successful.

The New Tradition team chose to run together once we realized that we, as a group, made up what many are convinced we need to make up the board. 

The group includes four business people, a man with a long standing financial background in his business life who has also served on the Finance Committee and been responsible for helping the clubs settle their year end reports. 

In addition, Karen has been in property management for 40 plus years, something we have never had in a board member. 

As a team we have many similar ideas, and although, contrary to what a few people have written on-line, we DO NOT walk in lockstep with each other.

We all agree that we want to bring, co-operation without confrontation since we are all, like many of you, sick and tired of the angst and negativity that has been the attitude for far too long. 

The New Tradition team and I would appreciate your vote and pledge to bring a truck full of fun and freedom back into your retirement.

Rana Goodman, #1 on your ballot. 

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Rhea answer to How New Traditions Team formed:

Hello again, Rhea.

I have known Barry Goldstein for quite some time and met the other members of the Team over the course of a couple months while talking with other owners about management choices we didn't understand or agree with on various topics.

The five of us found that we had similar points of view and business backgrounds which we believe will be advantageous to our community, were we on the Board.

The idea to run as a Team grew from there.

Rana

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Victor Tolin answer to potention disagreements with fellow Board members:

Victor, that is a great question.

If I were on the board and didn’t agree with a decision, I would state my position and stand my ground regardless of the way the rest voted.

I refuse to “march in lockstep” and just comply with the rest of the board if I didn’t believe something was in the best interest of the community.

Sadly, as history has shown us, when one or two board members stand tall in their voting against the majority they tend to made an outcast by the rest of the board.

For example, Nona Tobin, Jim Mayfield and Bob Frank.

Rana

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Delph Hayne answers to various restaurant questions:

From Rana:

1. My suggestion, if elected to the Board would be to mail "owners" only.

A ballot that has the suggested subsidy on it and ask for a vote from all.
We should explain, along with the ballot, that the entire population will have to abide the majority vote of the subsidy. 
2. The restaurants that have applied for the spot in the past have their own licenses.
If they do not, they can contract with the gaming machine companies to use machines with their license as I have been told by several restaurants that do just that.
3. I have no objection to gaming at a bar.

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John Gavlik Answer to publishing compensation of Administration employees:

Good morning John:

All owners are entitled, and allowed by law to know these figures, so YES I would make sure that these things are published.

We need to be told all avenues the board takes when spending our dollars. Not just in salaries but also benefits and the hours worked.

NRS 116.31175 Maintenance and availability of books, records and other papers of association:

Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, the executive board of an association shall, upon the written request of a unit’s owner, make available the books, records and other papers of the association for review at the business office of the association or a designated business location not to exceed 60 miles from the physical location of the common-interest community and during the regular working hours of the association, including, without limitation:

(d) All contracts to which the association is a party and all records filed with a court relating to a civil or criminal action to which the association is a party.

 4.The provisions of subsection 1 do not apply to:

(a) The personnel records of the employees of the association, except for those records relating to the number of hours worked and the salaries and benefits of those employees

Rana

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Jim answer to whether or not New Tradition Team will end self-management and return to a management company:

I cannot ever recall such a contentious election time in our community, it saddens me to no end.

Not once in all of our coffees and meet and great events has any member of the New Tradition Team even hinted and wanting to return SCA to a Management team like FSR.

Apparently when the opposition cannot find any worthwhile dirt on our group they seem to feel it is necessary to make things up... How very, very sad.

At one of our coffees about two weeks ago I mentioned that I didn’t feel SCA was as friendly and welcoming as it used to be.

A lady sat across from me shaking her head as I spoke and then adamantly disagreed, she said this community is warm and friendly and there are really nice people living here.

I agree, I have made some very, very good friends here and yes, there are many nice people in our community.

So someone please tell me why, when you have candidates  on both sides, willing to donate countless hours of their time to help our friends and neighbors by taking the most “unkind job we have,”  many supporters find it necessary to lie, attack and spread rumors they believe will discredit The side they oppose?

Rana

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Wayne Davis answer to improving Board communications and managing spending:

Good morning Wayne:

To improve BOD communications to the residents I would advocate returning Town Hall meetings to SCA.

If you were living here when we had these last time, it was a forum where homeowners could ask one of the two members hosting the Town Hall any question about thing on their mind regarding the governance here. Questions were answered fully and no time limit, within reason, was placed on their time at the microphone.

I would also make my personal email available in the Spirit so that a resident could reach me anytime to ask anything and would encourage the rest of the board to do likewise.

I would also advocate a fun campaign to encourage owners to sign up for the community's Monday e-blast to keep those not wishing, or too busy, to attend meetings to know what was going on.

As for spending, I would encourage owners, specially long time Les Vegas residents to offer the names and contact of additional vendors so that pricing can be gotten by more than 3.

Although only 3 bids are required by law, should bid  obtained by the C.O.O. be questioned, it would be easy to get more than three and hopefully give the association a chance to get a better comparison.

Rana

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Answer to Austin Scheibel regarding architectural rules:

Austin, thank you for those questions.
1. Since the view is not something that is guaranteed per the CC&Rs and we are instructed to start with 5 ft. trees, mandating the height as the trees grow would ber hard to do.
Considering some have Palm trees, how would the height be controlled on those trees? 

The cost of trimming the height of others would be very costly.
I personally have quite a few that have grown very tall in the 16 years that I have been in SCA and pay quite a bit per year to groom them.
I have no view and block none, but I shudder at the thought of the cost of trimming height.
2.  Yes, the cost of maintaining a retaining wall should be shared and root damage should fall to the owner.
Retaining walls on common property are the association's responsibility.
Rana

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 Allen response to AARP  "Homeowner Bill of Rights":

1. The Right to Security Against Foreclosure.

There is a bill currently in the Nevada legislature to stop HOA’s from having the ability to foreclose.

I do believe the HOA should have the power, but only for extreme delinquency and only after verifying why the delinquency happened.

 2. The right to resolve disputes without litigation.

Alternative dispute resolution is available through NRED and I believe that owners and boards should be able to participate the way that was intended.

The owner, a representative from the board, and the ombudsman without any attorney.

The ombudsman’s office has always had a program for those three participants to meet, hash out the problem and the ombudsman will strengthen out the issue.

If no agreement can be reached, THEN it can move forward to litigation.

 3. The Right to fairness in litigation.

After an ombudsman intervention, I believe this is fair.

 4. The right to be told of all rules and charges.

This is in law now but sometime the owner does not get the CC&Rs until after the sale closes.

 5. The right to stability in rules and charges.

To vote on CC&R changes MUST be voted on by the owners, however the percentage is so high that it is almost impossible to attain.

Where I have an issue is on the regular changing of rules within the rules; i.e. changing and “up-dating” constantly with out notification before hand so owners can have some input.

 6. The right to individual autonomy.

This needs to be clarified as to what those essential rights are.

 7. The right to peaceful advocacy during elections and other votes as well as use of common areas.

ABSOLUTELY

 8. The right to oversight of associations and directors.

Owners already have, in law, the ability to call for a “membership meeting” by requesting in writing that one be set.

Recalls must be done according to the rules to prevent “retaliation recalls.”

 9. The right to vote and run for office.

Agreed

 10. The right to reasonable associations and directors.

This is already in statute with the many chapters in NRS116.

Making sure that boards follow the rules is the hard part.

 11. The right to an Ombudsman for homeowners.

This too is already available; however SCA, for the last 16 years that I know of, when an intervention (sit-down) with the ombudsman is requested, the board’s attorney is always included by our boards and that can be so intimidating that the request has always been dropped in most of the cases.

Wonderful questions.

Thanks.

 Rana

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