Month after month, chairs remain empty at the Snug Harbor Property Owners Association (SHPOA) meetings. What was once an opportunity for community members to come together, raise concerns, and engage in local governance has become, for many, a frustrating and hollow exercise. The question needs to be asked: Why have so many property owners stopped attending?
The answer is both simple and troubling — because the meetings no longer matter.
The Rise of the Rubber Stamp
At the core of this issue is the widespread perception that SHPOA meetings are nothing more than a formality. Votes appear to be pre-determined, discussions are minimal, and decisions are passed without genuine debate or community input. What should be a democratic process has become, in the eyes of many residents, a rubber stamp operation designed to give the illusion of participation without the reality of it.
This erodes the very foundation of community trust. When members feel their voices don’t make a difference, they eventually stop trying to be heard.
Stonewalled and Shut Down
Perhaps even more discouraging is the board’s consistent refusal to engage with member questions during public meetings. Instead of offering honest answers or fostering open dialogue, residents are routinely met with deflections:
- “We’ll discuss that at the next work session.”
- “Let’s talk one-on-one after the meeting.”
While these replies may sound benign on the surface, they effectively sideline the discussion — removing it from the public forum and shrouding it in private, unrecorded conversations. The result? The rest of the community is left in the dark, and critical concerns are never addressed where they should be: in front of the people.
This approach may protect the board from discomfort or scrutiny, but it comes at a high cost — the disengagement of the very people the board is supposed to serve.
Apathy Sets In
The most damaging consequence of all this is the growing sense of futility among property owners. Many no longer see a reason to attend meetings because nothing ever seems to change. Concerns are ignored, questions are deflected, and decisions are made without meaningful input. People feel dismissed, unheard, and unvalued.
And so, they stop coming.
Worse, they stop caring.
This is not a sign of a healthy community. It’s a warning.
Gaslighting and Control
Some residents have described the meetings as manipulative — a form of gaslighting, where legitimate concerns are minimized, invalidated, or reframed to make the questioner seem irrational or misinformed. This tactic, whether intentional or not, creates an atmosphere where people second-guess their instincts and eventually give up trying to advocate for themselves or their neighbors.
It’s a subtle form of control — and it’s antithetical to the purpose of a Property Owners Association, which is supposed to represent, not dominate, the community.
The Path Forward
If we want to restore trust and participation in Snug Harbor, real changes are needed:
- Publicly address community concerns during meetings — not behind closed doors.
- Stop deflecting with “work session” excuses; start being accountable in open forums.
- Create space for resident dialogue before decisions are made — not after.
- Ensure transparency in board actions and decisions.
- Stop minimizing or dismissing dissenting voices — they are a sign of a healthy community, not a threat.
This community belongs to all of us. We deserve a board that listens, meetings that matter, and a process that respects every voice — not just the ones in power.
If we want residents to show up again, we need to give them a reason to believe it will make a difference.