Evening with the Developer - are they having one this year?
 

I know it usually happens in early May. I haven't heard anything about it this year, and all previous links to the event for 2024 seem to have been removed. Does anyone have any insight?

I believe it was last night.

How well attended (historically) is this event?
Is it the Morse family or representatives?

You have been here awhile, I am surprised you ask if Family is on the stage.

Yes the family comes together to the event. It’s a ticketed event that has always been at full capacity. Some have special invitations.

It’s a coveted event, many people love what all Generations of the family does for their retirement life.

I’m not usually here in May. Thus my question.

I don’t remember questioning ‘the family’ or their commitment to their communities.

If I’m here for the next one, maybe i’ll drop your name at the will call window for tickets! ;)

There was an article in the DS yesterday about a video recorded conversation with Mark Morse. He apparently has a scheduling conflict.

So it wasn’t last night? Do they usually post up video right after?

It was last night.

Last night the developer had something else to do so they taped an interview with him

If anyone has a link to the video I’d appreciate it.

It was Wednesday. I am on The VHA Advisory Board. It will be on Comcast Channel 2 this weekend at 8. 12. 4 and 8. It should be posted on VHA | The Villages Homeowners Advocates within a week or so.

It was Wednesday. It will be on Comcast Channel 2 this weekend at 8. 12. 4 and 8. It should be posted on VHA | The Villages Homeowners Advocates within a week or so.

It will be on Comcast Channel 2 this weekend at 8. 12. 4 and 8. It should be posted on VHA | The Villages Homeowners Advocates within a week or so.

It was held on Wednesday evening at the Sharon up in Spanish Springs.

There were six in person guests that were interviewed and as mentioned above, Mr. Morse was interviewed via pre-recorded video.

The session lasted about 90 minutes and was well attended. There were few empty seats in the room.

Can’t say that I gleaned any earth shattering information from the meeting but it was nice to hear the folks talk about their respective entities within the bubble.

One notable item is the UF Hospital group is taking their performance results seriously and have made strides to build their scores. Kudos!

Already had it and it was advertised everywhere.

Most informative post on this topic so far. Thank you

As even Mr. Morse stated, times are a changing and this meeting is not what it use to be. In the past, there were no empty seats and many Morse family members would participate. I am note sure how relevant a VHA organization is as the Villages grows past a population of 150,000. And, I don't like the expressed feeling by a VHA leader that their organization represents the public on all maters and that elected officials could be bypassed. Note: No elected officials participated in this VHA event. However, I may be a tad bias as I am a elected official on a Village board.

Heard you the 1st time. :a20:

My wife and I have looked forward to these developer meetings for the previous 17 years that we have lived in the villages. They have always been interesting and educational and we usually had to stand in long lines to get tickets. The Sharon was always 100% full, but not this year. I’m not sure what conclusions you can draw from that, but Mark Morse was not present
(except by video repeatedly saying yes, we’re going to just keep doing what we have always done but do it better). There were only a couple of family members present and virtually no new information was shared compared to past meetings. If you include the side balconies in the Sharon, I would estimate the room was 25% empty and they were giving out tickets at the door. My take away from the entire meeting was that the VHA president that ran the meeting is apparently getting ready to run for some sort of political office because all he did was pound his chest about what a great job the VHA has done under his guidance. It was basically a total waste of time and we will probably not go to future meetings, unfortunately. I love the villages and support the developer, but this meeting was a total bust.

If flexing is the theme of the night....he’d be a great participant on this forum. Sometimes people confuse it with Zip Recruiter!

I so agree. We try to get to the ticket booth early so we can sit up front.

Accurate. I also expected some of the replies because some folks like the Morses better than others.

I think...and can only speak for myself, most are very complementary of the developer (Morses). The reports of a decline in attendance on a pretty nice evening to be at the Sharon...are hopefully not a sign of...or show of apathy. I plan on attending next year to hear Mark, hopefully in person....not really interested in a VHA open mic night.

I replied to two separate messages.

It was this past Wednesday evening. Mark Morse didn’t even attend but instead they played an interview video that he had prerecorded. My wife and I have been to the last three of these and we both agree last year’s was nearly worthless and this one was completely worthless. We received little to no new information. I don’t think we will go in the future.

On VNN
 

Check VNN ON TV NOW

A scheduling conflict? Then reschedule the meeting so the man in charge can be there to answer questions. No worries about having to answer difficult questions on a prerecorded video. From the line up of the panel, it was obviously a dog and pony show with an emphasis on attempting to put lipstick on the Villages substandard health care system. Im going out on a limb and guessing the rapid decline in golfing holes per rooftop and course conditions were not addressed?

Video is available. Looks like it's been rebranded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AmCGjpFKnw

I like the opening frame...giving the impression it was sold out. I think I saw Kramer from Seinfeld in his role as a seat filler! Thanks for posting

We were told it was Elsinore. That satisfies powers to be.

I don't recall that there was ever a time that they fielded questions from the audience. I think that a developer of any ability could not be able to change a substandard health care system. The Villages Hospital buildings are owned by the developer and leased at the present time to the University of Florida who runs the hospital. The Villages Health centers are run by The Villages and you can use them if you have the kinds of insurance they take but I find it hard to know how anybody can get more doctors and nurses to move here or anywhere for that matter.

Thanks for this posting.

A couple of my comments after viewing this video.

On gate cards.

Peter Russell likes the old system of rolling down his window. However, Carrie Duckett says that the district has heard the people speak and will try to have extended card readers in the future where there is no need to row down the window.
While Kenny says cloned gate cards will not work, if a card is cloned from a still valid card it will work. My cloned gate cards are working fine.

The importance of the VHA

Peter Russell states that the VHA has to be the mechanism for providing to the community development districts what enhancements they are looking for. I can send an email to Kenny to get thing resolved. Which shows how important the VHA is to this entire structure.

His thoughts are to just bypass elected officials that are working hard to provide the best possible services to Villagers. I totally disagree with his thoughts on the VHA's place in the structure of the governance of the Villages.

I almost feel like burning my lifetime VHA card as I don't want to have them count me as agreeing with their current thinking.

Maybe as a Vietnam veteran I do have PTSD but I don't think so. :icon_wink:

No....your points are very valid.
Many like to make comments and suggestions of secession, incorporation and municipal like governance (ie; Mayor, City Council etc). So if that’s the way one leans, there are too many layers in this current system IMO. I have no issue with a board, association or commission ....but only in an advisory role. There are many that come from different areas of the country and world for that matter....I’m sure, are still trying to figure out the current structure here. But enough with attempting to dovetail yet another entity into what’s already in place.

Totally agree on both points. Not fielding questions makes the presentation nothing more than a dog and pony show without addressing residents concerns. That kind of discredits the whole event. Also agree the developer can’t change the substandard health care system (thanks for agreeing the system is substandard), but don’t try to fool us by putting lipstick on a pig.

Usually in that setting...the best you’re gonna get is the staff handing out index cards to the audience....to pose a question. Then they ‘select’ the questions they’re going to answer from the dais. Nobody passes around a hot mic anymore....it gives up control of the narrative. Although I like and respect the developer....I liken his approach to that of Ronald Reagan’s 1980 debate comment “I am paying for this microphone!”

I think the "three-legged stool" thing is pretentious and obnoxious, self-serving, and myopic.

First off, there are many people who aren't members of the VHA. The VHA exists as a mouthpiece for the Developer, it was created as such, and it still is. Second, the Dev team represents - the Developers. the CDD is the governing body of each district, of which there are many, and they don't always agree, and they don't usually work together as a cohesive unit.

Meanwhile, do you notice what isn't included in this three-legged stool? The residents. Not all homeowners are residents, and not all residents are homeowners. THEY - the residents - are not represented in this three-legged stool at all.