About
Introduction
Mountain House, a town of 8,000, is the number one underwater community in America (New York Times, Business Section, November 11, 2008), in which 90% of homeowners owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth. From 3,000 homes (Contra Costa Times, November 16, 2008) and of the 1,856 mortgages in CA 95391 zip code, only 209 homeowners owe less on their mortgages than their home is worth (Lodi News, November 14, 2008), with 1,647 mortgages requiring immediate rescue.
Some homeowners paid $800,000 for their homes, only to find they are now less than half the purchase market value, as low as $350,000. Besides that, many of them have the difficulty in paying their mortgages. Early this year, 800 households have been stopping paying their utilities bills. Now, we are seeing our friends and neighbors have been walking away and abandoning their houses, the town and us.
What will happen to our community if such situation occurs continuously? Will we, and our children still be able to live here, a community once called “The Town of Tomorrow”?
As proactive Mountain House residents, we refuse to stay still. With 1,647 mortgage holders, we have the critical mass to make a difference. We are uniting Mountain House residents’ voices as a group called Mountain House Action Group Saving “The Town of Tomorrow”.
Eventually, based on the first meeting on Sunday, November 23, 2008 initiated by a group of 30 residents, and followed Saturday, December 13, 2009 meeting attended by 120 residents, we had been collecting support (and have collected more than 200 signatures) from fellow conscientious residents to pursue possible rescue options with, but not limited to, financial institutions, banks or lenders to:
- Re-consider mortgage terms in favor of homeowners by using loan modifications (or other loan instruments) by using fair considerations that would be favorable for all homeowners
- Apply the best possible interest rate and the best terms that are favorable to homeowners;
- Assure homeowners to stay at and keep their homes during the process of loan modification;
- Have the county re-assess the property tax based on current market value as provided by independent assessors;
- Ensure no negative impact to FICO scores.
Organization Structure and System
Vision
Preserving Mountain House, the Town of Tomorrow. Mountain House Action Group (MHAG) finds out that stabilization is not enough; therefore MHAG is advocating preservation, harmony and happiness with individual, community, institutions, and nature in Mountain House.
Mission
Saving the Town of Tomorrow. MHAG witnesses the slowing down of the Mountain House development as compared to the approved master plan and Mountain House residents now seem to lack the spirit of preserving their community due to current financial/economic downturn. In this case, MHAG is advocating to save Mountain House, the Town of Tomorrow.
Goals
Short term goals
First, re-considering mortgage terms in favor of homeowners by using loan modifications (or other loan instruments) by using fair considerations that would be favorable for all homeowners;
Second, applying the best possible interest rate and the best terms that are favorable to homeowners;
Third, assuring homeowners to stay at and keep their homes during the process of loan modification;
Fourth, having the county re-assess the property tax based on current market value as provided by independent assessors;
Fifth, ensuring no negative impact to FICO scores.
Long term goals
First, supporting the city to materialize the Mountain House development as planned in Master Plan;
Second, creating a harmony diversity community living in Mountain House.
Value
We believe in:
Unity. All members have common interests. It will be easier for members to achieve their goals by working together and uniting because unity makes all members stronger.
Accountability. All members’ actions will be carried out based on the interest of organizations, majority of the members, and Mountain House residents. Board of Directors and Committees are subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify their actions to members and Mountain House residents.
Mutual respect. All members assume other members are competent.
Openness. All members talk directly to other members since it isn’t possible for any member to know everything. Members should provide any information they would need to know.
Trust. All members assume that no other member will take any action that is purposely intended to hurt another, thus one should provide any information that others could use.
Mutual benefit. All members plan every strategy so that all members may win. Voting becomes necessary as the last resort only.
Commitment and determination. All members are committed and determined to carry out their responsibilities.
Definitions
Mountain House Action Group (MHAG) is an informal organization founded by a group of Mountain House residents.
Members are Mountain House residents who register to be members of Mountain House Action Group including Board of Directors, Committee and Ad Hoc Team. All members have the obligation to adhere to organization structure and system. In return, they will get special treatment such as discount in any event as compared with non-members. Membership cannot be transferred.
Mountain House residents are people who own home/s, own small business/es, and/or live in Mountain House.
Board of Directors are members who have the responsibilities to decide, to veto and to give direction to committees based on the vision, the mission and the majority of members’ aspirations. Board of Directors consist of President, Vice President and members.
Facilitators (Beni Bevly) are committees that are responsible to mediate and to coordinate all committee members to come up with decision(s) and actions.
Internal Communication Coordinators (Grace Valencia) are committees with responsibilities to communicate MHAG’s messages among members including to summarize the meeting discussions and communicate it to members and the public.
Treasurers and Membership Coordinators are committees that are responsible in recruiting new members, initiating and coordinating fundraisings, recording, managing, and reporting organization’s financial activities.
Public Relation Coordinators (Jennie S. Bev and Shashi Kiran) are committees with responsibilities in promoting, recording, and informing MHAG’s goals, actions, and results to the public, private and government institutions.
Logistics/Event Organizers (Sankar and Praba) are committees with responsibilities in providing equipment and tools, organizing and giving feedback on MHAG’s events.
Training & Development, and Volunteer Organizers (Devin Bhathal, Paul Bhathal, Gopi Chilukuri, and Madhu) are committees with responsibilities to recruit, to train, and to organize all volunteers with the purpose of supporting in achieving MHAG’s goals. These committees are also responsible for designing and coordinating trainings, including workshops.
Board of Advisory (Harman Singh) consists of members who are expert in specific fields and responsible in providing constructive advise to Board of Directors and Committees. The members of Advisory are not necessarily Mountain House residents and must be approved by Board of Directors.
Board of Advisory Coordinators (Justin Frazier, Raj Singh) are members with responsibilities in recruiting members of Board of Advisory and communicating with them on behalf of MHAG.
Ad Hoc Team is a temporary team consisting of members who are assigned to handle a specific problem/s or task/s by Board of Directors and/or Committees.
Election
Board of Directors and Facilitators are elected in every 3-year election by members in a democratic manner. Facilitator-elect have the prerogative right to form their own committees. Board of Directors and Committees can be only elected twice consecutively.
Yearly Accountability Meeting
Committees conduct annual accountability meeting that invites all members.
Regular Meeting
Board of Directors and Committees conduct an internal meeting (among Board of Directors and Committees) every Sunday at 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the fourth week of the month.
Special meeting
Board of Director and/or can call for special meetings.
Meeting agenda
An agenda should show the planned steps, including time frame in each topic, that get the meeting from one agenda to the following agenda. The meeting agenda is distributed at least 72 hours, not including Saturday, Sunday and holidays, before the meeting starts. It will help members to prepare appropriately and to anticipate the kind of information they might need to produce. Most importantly, it works as a contract among members.
Adhere to a schedule
Start and end the meeting on time (or even earlier than schedule). Starting and ending on time requires discipline by Facilitator or an appointed member and members. If all members know that the Facilitator or an appointed member is going to start and end the meeting on time, there is a much greater likelihood that everybody else will make the effort to be punctual.
Being a referee and employing a timekeeper
Have one member in the meeting be a slavish timekeeper so he/she can focus on facilitating, summarizing, clarifying, and just to keep things moving.
Meeting should be conducted at neutral place
In order to keep the perception that MHAG is independent, the meeting should be conducted at a neutral place. For an example, the meeting will not be conducted only at one member’s residence.
Staying on topic
Facilitators or an appointed member who leads the meeting and all members have the responsibility of gently guiding the meeting back to the substantive agenda items.
One member speaking up at a time
In maintaining a good channel of communication, understanding of the topic, and avoiding someone trying to carry on other conversation with another in the middle of a meeting, only one member is allowed to speak up at a time.
Quorum and legitimate decision
The decision or result of the meeting is legitimate if the meeting is at least attended by 2/3 of members and made by a majority that constitutes quorum which is 50% + one member.
Conducting voting and expressing member’s opinion
One member shall be entitled to 1 (one) vote. No vote is transferable. In order to vote, a member must present at the meeting physically. A voting system is conducted after all members have been given the opportunity to express their opinions and have understood the topic. Each member has maximum 2 minutes to express his or her opinion. Strong minority (40% of attending members who disagree) can express their opinions beyond the allotted time.
End of meeting
If any decisions were made at the meeting (even if the decision was to “study the issue more”), the Internal Communication Coordinator should clearly summarize what needs to be done and who is going to do it on the minutes of meeting. This is crucial. If the members leave the meeting and no one is accountable for taking action on the decisions that were made, then the meeting will have been a waste of everyone’s time.
Minutes of meeting
The minutes of meeting should not be published unless it is reviewed and approved by all members. The Internal Coordinator is given 72 hours time frame to send out the minutes of meeting to members and another 72 hours time frame to send out the approved minutes of meeting to public. It means all members have 72 hours to review and approve the minutes of meeting. These 72 hours do not include Saturday, Sunday and holidays.
Involving public
The public is allowed to observe and witness the meeting process. With an approval of the majority of members, members of the public can express and contribute in the meeting. The public has the right to know the process and the results of the meeting.
Termination of membership
A membership will be terminated if a member voluntarily resigns, violates the organization structure and system, or passes away.
Exception and addendum
Board of Directors and Committees can make exception and addendum to this Organization structure and system.
