Resident tells commission HOA declarant is excluding homeowners; city says it's a civil matter

A Willard resident told the planning commission on July 16 that the declarant of their homeowners association and HOA leaders were not following legal processes, excluding homeowners from meetings and imposing a sharp dues increase.

Speaking during the public-comment period, the resident said the association raised dues "from $2.25 a year, to $60 a month," described difficulty getting invited to HOA meetings, and said they lacked funds to pursue legal action. The resident named the HOA declarant (Kirk Young) as the person in control of meetings in their neighborhood.

Commissioners responded that the dispute appears to be a civil matter between residents and the HOA. One commissioner told the speaker, "There's not. This is a civil issue, and there's nothing that the city can do about what's going on between the residents and your HOA," indicating the city has limited authority to intervene in private HOA governance.

The commission suggested residents pursue legal counsel or pursue remedies through private legal channels and noted the city's jurisdiction is limited to municipal code and land-use authority. The resident said they came to the commission to record the complaint and urged the commission to "think twice" before allowing a different declarant to control additional development in Willard.