First of all, I take strong offense at your statement that only a tiny percentage of families with kids can afford to take their kids to dinner at a place like the YC.  That is a very bold statement, and I think a poor stereotype.  All families, regardless of income, have to make decisions on their financial priorities, but that doesn't mean they can't afford to dine at the yacht club.  For me, it means I won't add an extra $40 onto my night out to get sitter to get mediocre food at the YC when I could go to a more family friendly restaurant where my whole family can have a more enjoyable night out.  If the members of community have subsidized the YC, it should be operating in a PROFITABLE manor to serve all members.  Wouldn't a strategy to bring more people in be more effective than closing it down in out of season months?  If it is for the community, it shouldn't be a seasonal restaurant.  The families with 533 students at Showell Elementary mostly live in the Pines, and over 1/4 of the families at MBS, right next store to Showell, live in the Pines.  So because we have kids, we should find someplace else to eat all winter long?

As it seems to be implied, I am not on a campaign to put a playground in or spend $50k on some pet project.  A joke was made in a post, and I responded that it was actually a bright idea, which I still say it is.  The more relevant point is that something needs to be done with the YC so that when the seasonal crowd leaves in August / September, the YC is able to be profitable the rest of the year. Creative, reasonable business people are needed to step into the leadership roles, and see that every investment of our HOA dollars has been researched, documented, and is on a solid path for a healthy return on the investment. 

Until anyone has a real business case, with proper research, playgrounds, food trucks, and ever other crazy idea can be argued until we are blue in the face but remains individual opinions.  The reality is a playground carries no more merit right now than a food truck, because there has been no research completed, and there is no business or other plan to prove that there is a worthwhile investment at hand.  My campaign point is simply that we need financial accountability, and the proper planning and research needs to be done on any purchase, which is why I am 100% against the food truck experiment.

If no one takes the initiative to think outside the box, make proposals, and then do the necessary research to establish a viability for the project, we will wind up just closing facilities down.   Then, you will have a neighborhood of aging homes, with declining values, because you can buy a new home in a new neighborhood with new amenities, which appeals more to many buyers.  I believe everyone here looks at their home as an investment that should appreciate, and it is the responsibility of the board and management team to make sound decisions to promote that appreciation, while maintaining dues, if not decreasing them, much the same as we expect out of state and local government with our tax dollars.

BTW, I do agree that the first step to solving the problem is improving the quality of the food and the dining experience.  We could dump another million into the building in all kinds of crazy ideas, but if basics aren't working, it will never be fixed, no matter how much money you throw at it.

Brett