Recall campaign targets 5 Shelter Bay directors

Embattled Shelter Bay Community Director Judy Kontos is on the offensive, petitioning since mid-March to have residents recall the five members of the board’s executive committee. The board sanctioned Kontos in February after an ethics committee investigation Kontos believed was patently unfair.

The petitions against board President Wendy Poulton, Vice President Joseph Hurley, Treasurer Louise Kari, Secretary Monte Hicks and Secretary pro tem Elaine Dixon read the same: “In accordance with Shelter Bay Community, Inc. Article V, Section 2, we the undersigned members of Shelter Bay Community, Inc. and Shelter Bay Company call for an immediate mailing of 10 day notice to each member to facilitate a RECALL VOTE of the following Officer (name).”

Kontos explained via email: “This recall campaign is about Shelter Bay and what we ‘can’ do together, not what we ‘can’t’ do.

“The purpose of the petition is to force a special meeting of Shelter Bay residents be scheduled by the Board as mandated in our SB bylaws. The stated purpose of the special meeting is to be a community vote on recalling each Officer individually. It is not a slate, each officer will have a ballot voted on.”

Signatures from 25% of the households, one per lot, or 218 leaseholders, are needed. Kontos says she has a cadre of supporters going door-to-door, hosting gatherings and getting signatures at the gatehouse entrance.

Kontos declined to report the number of signatures collected, but wrote “let’s say I’m an overachiever. More is better.”

Shelter Bay has slightly over 900 homes. It is organized as a homeowners association. Shelter Bay Community, Inc. is governed by an elected nine member board of directors. Its annual meeting is in May.