The eight candidates in attendance at the community meeting on September 19, 2020, who spoke to the community via conference call or by proxy include:

• Nora Alter;
• Nancy Glasgow;
• Steve Larsen;
• Carol Paul;
• Gregory Pichler;
• Marty Shecter;
• Ellen Throop; and
• Amy Witcover-Sandford.

Carol Paul, who had a previous work commitment involving Corn Maze, did not attend the meeting. However, Paul forwarded her introductory materials to Margie Cyr, who read her materials to the audience.

Bill Leconte also did not attend the meeting. Leconte reported having a "work crisis" emerge and for that reason, Leconte did not attend. Leconte reportedly did not have time to forward his introductory materials.

Nora Alter

I am Nora Alter. I live at 18 Addy Road and have been a Middlesex [Beach] resident since 1976. I have watched the community grow and change.

Basically, despite some of the information that was disseminated to the community I'm just running for the board out of the sense of community engagement and duty. [A number of] people have asked me to run for the board for a while now and I quite simply didn't have the time. I know that it entails a lot of work. I know that the board works very hard. A lot of that work is invisible. We have two meetings a year where some of [the work] is made visible. I've basically spent a lot of time in the community. I have gathered a lot of joy so has my family from the community. So, I think it is just time that I give back something and what I can give back is time on the board.

My feeling is that Middlesex [Beach] is a treasure of the East coast, cause there are very few communities that are so wooded that have so many large lots and a beautiful private beach and I think it is important to retain that unique quality while also addressing current needs and issues and I feel that I'm particularly in tune to the fact that having an elderly mother, having been here for a while that Middesex [Beach] is comprised of many different constituencies with very different concerns.

Many people now are on fixed incomes. There are new home owners, who perhaps have a little bit more financial flexibility. I think it is really important that we need to mediate and negotiate a lot of sensitive issues that have come up, issues such as a rental tax, issues like where we are with wind turbines, things like high speed Internet [access] which I think some people will agree Mediacom is a little bit inconsistent at best and looking to other communities what [have] their solutions been to some of these issues that face us. I think it is difficult when there is misinformation that circulates and I think it is very important that there is full transparency about what happens and what also happens at board meetings. I think Margie [Cyr] and others have done a great job now of making these meetings, because of [COVID-19] and Zoom, easier for people to attend and to really hear what is happening. I think that sort of transparency should continue into the future.

Anyway. That's all I have to say. Middlesex [Beach] is a wonderful gem on this coastline.

Thank you.

Nancy Glasgow

Hi everyone. For those of you who don't know me my name is Nancy Glasgow. I've served on the board for the past two years. I also served on the board from 2000 to 2002. My husband and I have owned our house in Middlesex [Beach] for twenty three years. I have watched both of my children grow up here, participating in the junior life guard program and my son later served as a Middlesex Beach life guard for seven years.

This neighborhood has been a huge part of our lives and I have met some of my dearest friends here. In short I care about the community greatly.

I would like to clarify my position on an issue that is getting a lot of attention lately and that is the rental fee. First and foremost I would like to say that Marty Shecter, Steve Larson and myself do not have the authority to implement any sort of tax or fee to community members. This would require a covenant change that would be voted on by the community. I do, however, feel that it is my duty as a board member to give the community the opportunity to discuss and vote on this issue. Rental fee and rental licensing fees have been around for quite some time and are effective in many of our [neighboring] communities.

It is also important to note that a rental fee is not charged to the owner, for renting their home, but rather [it is] a fee added to the cost of their rental. I do not believe this would negatively impact Middlesex [Beach]'s rental market cause as we all know our beach's location and private speak for themselves.

In closing, you know, I want to continue to serve this community, I love this place and I hope I get your vote.

Steve Larsen

So briefly, I live at 6 Bridge Road and came into the community I think in 2013.

As you heard I chair the budget committee and serve as the treasurer and previously [I] served as chairman of the community patrol and [I] also serve on the legal committee.

(This is covered in the biography sent out a couple of times.) I run a number of businesses in the private sector. I've spent a lot of time in state government and time in the federal government and time in [the] private sector. I think I've been able to bring that diverse experience to the many issues that the board faces, which I think one of the previous candidates indicated there is a lot of kind of complicated issues that come to the board; some financial; some policy; some Interpretation of covenants. I think the type of thing that you're not hearing about it, then things are going well, but it doesn't mean there is not a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. I think I have demonstrated that I'm willing to put that time in.

And in closing, kind of along the lines of what Nancy covered. Briefly, I think there have been communications and e-mail that have gone out about this rental fee issue and unfortunately I think not all of it has been accurate. There is no proposal in front of the community. There is no proposal in front of the board. There was a petition several years ago, which is not kind of active.

I think the most important point like many other issues we face this ultimately has to be decided by the community, not by one board member or three board members or even the entire board can't decide this. Ultimately, it is up to the community and I do agree that we should have a discussion certainly given my vantage point as chairman of the budget [and finance] committee and treasurer. I think it is incumbent on the board to present to the community options for addressing how we finance our community particularly in reference to the way many, many other communities both in Delaware and frankly, nationally do that. And ultimately, the community decides they want to do something or they don't or vote and we move on and hopefully that can be done in a way that is not contentious. It doen't have to be, but it seems that some people want to turn it into that. So, I think we can have a discussion and I appreciate the opportunity to do this work.

Bill Leconte

My name is Bill LeConte. I have owned the property at 21 Bridge Rd for 21 years. My primary residence is in Ellicott City. I have not had the pleasure of serving on a neighborhood association board before. Now that my children have grown and moved on to college and living on their own, I plan to be more involved in both my neighborhoods. I appreciate all the work that has been done over the last 21 years by the board and the association and they have accomplished many excellent things and have been good stewards of the neighborhood. The beautification projects, the beach management, and lifeguards are all greatly appreciated. We have a wonderful and unique enterprise in Middlesex Beach and it is very special to me and my family.

I have many years of experience in team building, project management, and am willing to put forth effort for the betterment of the community. Over the years of my career I have developed project budgets and plans for very large initiatives mostly around systems development. I have worked in the Finance departments of Amtrak, ICF, and Emergent Biosolutions. I am a capable person and do most of the work on and around both of my properties. I have managed multiple improvement projects and strive to comply with guidelines and rules. My neighbors are my friends and I make myself available to help them when I can.

Recently, the board seems to be making decisions not based out of concern for making everyone’s life more enjoyable by proposing fees or taxes on some of the residents’ activity with their property. I have not heard of any positive benefit to this action only that it is done elsewhere. I am not convinced this is a proper justification for taking an action that poses no benefit to all residents. I would oppose any action from the board that impacts only some of the residents. This is something that I believe exposes the neighborhood to legal action and would lead to incurring more expenses. I also do not see how this fee or tax would be collected or enforced without intruding into residents’ privacy. If there is a need to increase revenue for the neighborhood, I believe the entire neighborhood and not a small percentage of it should be responsible for it. If this is meant as a deterrent, I think it should not be considered at all as I believe people have a right to do what they want with their property without adversely impacting others.

Thank you for your consideration and I hope to see you all soon.

Carol Paul

[inaudiable] We have been so fortunate [inaudiable] on 12 Short Road, then became regular Summer renters in 2000. Finally we bought [a portion of] a place at 8 Errett Road in 2007.

We loved working on the old Middlesex Beach home so much that we bought our own place in 2012 at 21 Errett Road. We traded in our bathing suits for paint clothes. We live here 70% of the time in the off season. I am a duel resident of Maryland and Delaware.

I served two months on the Middlsex Beach board to fill a vacated position. I am in awe of the amount of work the volunteers put in. I would like to offer what I can to help them and the community.

We also have thoughts of retiring here in Middlesex Beach and would like to get to know our neighbors better.

Some people are asking me to state my position on the rental fee. My position is, if elected, I feel I am on the board to represent my neighbors and I would want to hear from them as how they would like me to represent them. As an individual [I believe] renters do not use any more services than owners that use their property part time and/or full time year round. Unless that can be shown I do not believe there should be a fee charged to owners that rent.

Our private beach is our biggest asset and I believe this should be at the forefront of all our decisions. It must be safe guarded. We are a community. Divisions hurt us. If asked to serve, I would love to hear from members that have needs and concerns so I can help them better and work with [the] MBA.

Thank you,

Carol Paul

Gregory Pichler

My name is Greg Pichler. I own the property at 20 Dune Road. On July 30, 2018 I launched the MXB Wire with fellow contributor, Scott Van Ness, to report on the association's board meetings and other things of interest to the community.

There has never been a more clear choice in an MBA election for who we entrust to manage our homeowners association. Do we go down a rabbit hole pursuing a proposition involving wealth redistribution to the benefit one set of neighbors at the expense of another, navigating a litany of misinformation, and in so doing expose our association to civil litigation or do we opt out, respect the fact that no cost justification exists to support such wealth redistribution and keep our insurance premiums as low as possible?

I, of course, am referring to the rental tax proposition that my opponents are advocating for (and despite how they wish to position the proposition it is still a tax).

As you may be aware from watching my installments on the MXB Wire I am opposed to a Rental Tax as advanced by the incumbent candidates, Steve Larsen, Marty Shecter, and Nancy Glasgow. The laws governing homeowners associations in Delaware clearly preclude homeowner associations from the jurisdictional authority to tax income. Frankly, I am puzzled why my opponents are making the rental tax a key campaign promise as they have been advised a number of times by the resident lawyer that any rental fee requires a cost justification. In fact there is no cost justification to legally charge vacation rental property owners and their tenants any fees whatsoever.

Regarding the misinformation being bantered about over the past three years, my opponents say that Middlesex Beach is an "outliner" in not charging fees to tenants, in fact only 3 homeowners associations out of a total of 37 in Delaware not within municipal boundries charge tenants what are referred to as "resort fees". Resort fees are otherwise what are known as "usage fees" in the industry These three homeowners associations charge tenants usage fees for access to amenities, including swimming pools, tennis courts, launch ramps, and piers. Middlesex Beach currently has no amenities to justify charging resort fees.

The other false statement being advanced by my opponents is that these homeowners associations only charge resort fees to tenants and not to owners. In fact, these three homeowners associations indiscriminantly charge usage fees for access to amenities to both owners and tenants.

In closing with me on the board you get a champion at keeping the association out of civil court and at keeping our indemnity insurance as low as possible, particularly with regard to frivolous law suits, like the one with the Norman Law Firm and the DMF Associates that will see us paying an additional 250.00 dollars or thereabouts per resident per year starting in the 2021 season.

Marty Shecter

Hi neighbors. This past weekend our twenty-seven-year-old granddaughter got married. It was a small gathering of friends and family. All the women were beautiful; all the men were strong; and all the children were above average.

When she was one [years-old] we bought our house on Bayberry Road. The thousands of moments of joy and happiness we have experienced with her and our friends, our family and our friends gives a perspective I bring to this community. A feeling of debt and appreciation and the desire to contribute and give back.

Unfortunately, not everyone feels this way. There is one [candidate, namely, Greg Pichler] who is using his social media skills to defame, malign and insult members of the board and other members of the community, who may disagree with his views. He has misrepresented and misinformed the community about issues and people. His selfishness is obvious.

The only thing [Greg Pichler] cares about is how much money he can take out of this community. He is a divisive force, who disrespects the entire concept of community.

I felt remiss as a member of the community in not making [these] comments.

I am running for the board again because I have unfinished work. I believe in sensitive leadership, (i) sensitive to the needs of our seniors, (ii) [sensitive] of our children, (iii) [sensitive] of our visitors, (iv) sensitive to our economic needs, (v) sensitive to those in the community who wish to give back. Volunteers.

There is a wealth of intelligence, experience and desire here. There are those who wish to contribute. We must foster and utilize this valuable asset [and] not discourage it.

I believe the board [members] should be positive ambassadors of Middlesex [Beach] within and outside our community.

There are some things you cannot change, but creating an environment where cooperation, respect, honesty and integrity should abound should be our goal.

Thank you for listening.

Ellen Throop

Good morning everyone. This is Ellen Throop. I am a co-owner of the property at 14 Errett Road. My sister and I currently own the house. The house has been in the family for 52 years and we anticipate donating the house to our four sons collectively. Hopefully, they will enjoy everything that we have.

In listening to everything that has been going on in the community recently there are four points that I typically address with board members and they seem applicable here. The first is that as a board member you need to put the community interest first and your personal agendas really need to take a back seat. It doesn't serve the community when you just put forward your own interest. The only way that can be done is if all board members and committee members follow the duty of loyalty and [the] duty of care.

With respect to the covenants they do need to be enforced so that we can [inaudible] interests and the assets. The covenants already establlish what our community process is. That process has to be followed by the board and it has to be done consistently as to all members so that there is not any type of selective enforcement.

The third piece is working with the budget. The budget is the most critical and it has to be created well from the outset. You've got to start with the needs of the community, like insurance and trash removal, and then add and blend in some wants based upon community desires. When that is done, that number then determines the final assessment. When the community members approve that budget then the board really needs to strive to follow it. So, those are the three parts that come to mind as to what this board has been struggling with.

Of course my comments wouldn't be complete without dealing with the litigation and the rental tax. With the conversations of the proponents of this rental tax keep forgeting is the very first and initial part is that there is no cost justificaiton to the rental tax within our community, based upon the community set up, management, lack of involvement with any type of rentals , the owners' property rights and how assessments are actually charged. They are charged by the lot.

It really pains me to see the rental tax issue continuing to brew when at the outset the initial problem answers the question but some refuse to deal with it. So then, we are going to be possibly spending time and money of the board who [are] volunteers trying to address this issue that has already been addressed, already been advised by our council and this is definitely the type of issue that clearly creates two different sides as already been demonstrated by all the candidates. The biggest problem would be the litigation, which will be extremely costly and take up a lot of time and again the board could be doing other good and productive things in the interest of all of the community.

In any event I want to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity to have served and I hope to continue to do so.

Amy Witcover-Sandford

I am Amy Witcover-Sandford. We are at 34 Bayberry Road. My parents bought that property in 1966 and we built our house in 1971. I have grown up in Middlesex Beach. My children have grown up in Middlesex Beach. I have to agree with eveyone, who said that there is no other place like it.

I have not been on a homeowners board before, but I have certainly reaped the rewards of all the hard work that has gone into keeping Middlesex Beach [the] gem that it is. I feel that it is time for me to take a step to help and to further support the kind of vacation and home and environment that is Middlesex Beach.

The controversy that has been spoken of, I don't really have an opinion at the moment because I haven't researched it, but much like Nancy [Glasgow] said I feel like as a board member it would be my duty and obligation to bring any information to the membership for them to be able to vote and make a decision on such matters.

I love Middlesex Beach. I love the kind of community that we have and I think it is very important that we take steps to make sure that we continue to have such a warm and welcoming community and I would be happy to give my time to the board and to help make Middlesex Beach what we all love that it is today.

Thank you very much.