Chronicles
From the MyRSF.net archives of the Email Chronicles
Inside the RSFA, what I meant to say, and other topics
Author: Phil Trubey
Date: October 5, 2026
Hello, Phil Trubey here, sending an occasional email about RSF.
Ideas Are Worthless, Implementation is Gold
While writing for the old RSF Post for many years, I realized that while I was obviously the smartest person in the entire Association and that my ideas, suggestions and criticisms were Nobel prize-worthy, it mattered not.
The only ideas that mattered were the ones that the Association Board and staff cared about.
And when I was on the Board for three years, I understood the many reasons why.
There is a hard limit to the number of projects staff can undertake at any one time. Unless, of course, we want to double our budget and hire tons more people, which Members are strangely reluctant to do.
There are many hidden projects that we just don't see. Lawsuit depositions, mediations, discovery requests, Member Dispute Resolution mediations, threats of lawsuits, State regulatory changes, employee issues, etc. It's a long list of stuff that sucks a ton of time from both staff and the Board.
Capital projects, like the restaurant renovation, are also huge time sinks. If you've ever built a house, you know it's a full time job even with a dedicated project manager. Informed decisions must constantly be made.
I say all this because my dear readers (and I appreciate all of you) seem to think that I can somehow majorly influence the Board's priorities. I really can't. They are all busy implementing and monitoring their own priorities and generally don't have the bandwidth to fit something else in.
Which isn't to say nothing can be done. I've always maintained that the best way to influence Board policies is to take a Board member or three to coffee and talk for an hour. If you don't go in guns blazing and listen to them, you'll gain a ton of insight into what's actually going on, and gain an appreciation for what's possible and what isn't.
Not every Board member has the time to do even that, and if they've just had to endure a deposition in a lawsuit a Member started, they might be a tad grumpy. So don't think everyone will roll out the red carpet for your obviously brilliant and Nobel prize worthy ideas, but it's worth a shot.
Also, do keep sending emails to memberinput @ rsfa.org since the Board does read them.
At the end of the day, the biggest impact you can make in the Association is to get elected to the Board, notwithstanding that you'll find that many of the great things you want to accomplish won't actually get done. It's why people like Rick Sapp, Courtney LeBeau and Jeff Simmons ran for more than one three year term. It takes a long time to see big initiatives through.
And there are many Board committees you can apply to that make no less of an impact on the community.
What I meant to say...
My name has come up with various Silvergate emails flying back and forth with regard to a comment I made when the Board I was on unanimously voted to determine that the Silvergate project conformed to the property's Class C zoning.
In that open Board meeting, I stated that the Board was stuck between two potential lawsuits and chose the most legally defensible option, which upon reflection, can be taken in different ways.
What I was trying to say is that the Board chose the decision that, in our opinion, best conformed to the law. And the law includes not only general California and federal law, but also Davis-Stirling and the Covenant, which is a legal contract. By saying we chose the most legally defensible option, I was saying that we followed the law as best we could determine. “Best legally defensible” means the most lawful. And that very much took into account what the Covenant says.
Specifically we were NOT weighing which lawyers would be the most competent and deciding that going up against homeowners would be an easier lawsuit. That didn’t enter into the calculus at all.
We made a decision based on what we thought a court of law would likely say given all the facts before us at the time.
HOAs are NOT a Court of Law: No Precedents
As a California corporation, successive RSFA Boards are not constrained by previous Board actions. Corporate law allows Boards to change their minds on matters. In particular, Board resolutions should be read as instructions to staff on how to run certain things, bearing in mind that future Boards can overturn any and all Board resolutions.
To make governance transparent and predictable, especially as it relates to Member property rights, RSFA Boards have codified extra rules and regulations over and above what is written in the Covenant in the RSFA Regulatory Code.
Why am I saying this? Because some people in the current debate du jour have brought up Board resolutions and staff memos from decades ago.
Unless these have been codified in our Regulatory Code, such resolutions and memos are likely inoperative.
And yes, Boards are perfectly within their rights to make decisions that are contradictory to previously passed resolutions. For example, that's what Boards are frequently asked to do when giving a variance that overrides a Regulatory Code provision.
San Diego City Council
Considering we don't live in the City of San Diego, why am I even mentioning this? Because San Diego is the 800 pound gorilla living next door (literally) and the choices it makes affect us.
The current City Council has zero people on it who have run a business or even led a significant group of people. This is not a prescription for competent leadership and decision making.
There is a City Council candidate, however, running for a vacant seat who has run and is running actual businesses, and he has political experience as well, having been mayor of Coronado.
Just to get someone with proper experience onto San Diego City Council, I am recommending that if you can afford a few bucks, consider donating to his election campaign. You can donate directly to Richard Bailey here, and/or donate more to a PAC supporting him (ask me for link).
Previous emails, Rancho information, poll results, and the old RSF Post archives are available at myrsf.net. If you aren't on my email list and want to receive my occasional scribblings, go to this web page and click on the "click here to subscribe" link after the preamble. To unsubscribe, click the link below.