Opinion

Berger and Central Pool: Two Costly Projects, Where Is the Coordinated Plan?

By Deborah Quam / October 12, 2026 /

Where and when are all these decisions being made by the entire elected Board? Berger and Central Pool both need work. What members have not been shown is a coordinated plan for paying for and completing these two necessary projects. OVA’s October announcements give Berger considerable attention, while the pool’s worn surfaces, decking and cabana…

Social Media, Resident Speech and OVA Governance

By Deborah Quam / September 4, 2026 /

A Response to the OVA President’s Message OVA President Steve Spanier’s recent President’s Message, “Social Media and Oakmont,” is ostensibly about Nextdoor. But it raises a more important question: how should OVA leadership respond when residents criticize its decisions? Spanier is certainly right that social media is imperfect. Nextdoor is not a scientific survey. Its…

Oakmont at a Crossroads: Financial Capacity and the Berger Center Expansion

By Deborah Quam / May 2, 2026 /

A System-Wide Analysis of Capital Needs, Debt, and Long-Term Sustainability Introduction Oakmont is entering a period where long-term planning and financial decisions are becoming increasingly interconnected. The proposed Tier 3 expansion of the Berger Center is one of the most significant projects currently under consideration, but it cannot be evaluated in isolation. It comes at…

OPINION: My Endorsements for the 2026 OVA Election

By Bruce Bon / March 5, 2026 /

On my 2026 OVA Ballot, I will be voting in favor of both Bylaws Amendments, and I urge everyone reading this to do the same – in a very real sense, Oakmont’s future depends on it! In the directors election, I will be voting for: Matt Oliver, Greg Darcy and Josh Axelrod. I will not…

Governance, Factions, and Dialogue in Oakmont: Representing the Whole

By Deborah Quam / February 19, 2026 /

It’s almost election time in Oakmont. In any homeowner’s association, prospective board members and sitting directors carry the same fundamental obligation: represent the interests of the entire membership, not a circle of supporters, not a social network, and not a single socio-economic segment of the community. In a 55+ active adult community like ours, that…

Elnoka Housing Development concerns? Attend East Rec Town Hall, March 23, 5-7 pm

By Oakmont Observer / February 16, 2026 /

This article was submitted by Oakmont resident, Betsy Herbert. Did you know that in March 2024, the OVA Board signed a legal contract agreeing to support a future housing project on the 69-acre Elnoka wildland bordering Oakmont Village? “What,” you ask, “Why didn’t I know about this?” Let me explain . . . While this…