By Lisa D’Cato
For the News-Gazette

With public outcry falling on deaf ears, the Association of Poinciana Villages on Monday voted to approve outsourcing management of the group.

The association, the community’s homeowners association, held an impromptu board of directors meeting. The only agenda item on was whether or not to outsource the management of the association to Continental Group. The item had been on the December’s regularly-scheduled meeting, but no decision was made.

Approximately 75 residents were at the public meeting on Monday

The board of directors attempted a quick vote at the start of the meeting only to be derailed by public outcry, as residents wanted to voice their opinions.

Former Association of Poinciana Villages Assistant Manger Val Ramos urged the board to consider other options.

“I fully understand that the board of directors have the authority to decide going forward with a management company,” he said. “However, I worked a long time for this great corporation that we all refer to as APV and I learned to appreciate the job that most of these APV employees perform on a daily basis. By even considering this action, you are telling all of these great employees and others like them that you do not believe that they have the ability or intelligence to step up to manage this corporation.”

Ramos suggested that instead of changing the system, especially the legal department, which “works like a finely tuned Rolex,” a Poinciana Visioning Committee should be created and composed of APV board members and volunteer homeowners.  

“As directors whose legal responsibility is the well-being of this corporation, I urge you not to dismantle what has worked to replace it with a private company whose ultimate goal will be to show a margin of profit,” Ramos said.

Ramos’ comments were met with applause. Other residents spoke as well, all in against of outsourcing management.

Board of Directors Chair Mary Emerson then called the board to vote, with six of the nine board members present. Directors Jerry Ayala and Jose Padilla representing village 1 (19,250 residents) and village 2 (11,705), respectively, voted against hiring Continental Group. The majority of the other directors in attendance voted in favor of outsourcing.

The meeting was adjourned immediately following the vote.

Some residents in attendance said they wondered how outsourcing management would affect them. The common concern was the cost effectiveness of the move and whether or not it would raise homeowner’s association dues.

The board did not acknowledge such concerns.