Posted by volunteer
a resident of another community
on Feb 19, 2015 at 3:44 pm

Regarding the letter from Governing Board President, Toni Barrack:

If the Governing Board is willing to send this now, why weren't they willing to offer it back in December when volunteers first voiced their concerns? Instead they repeatedly issued the ultimatum "sign or leave"​ and​ stonewalled all requests to draft a workable modification to the volunteer agreement. ​ It took the "disruption" of an article in The Almanac for them to make this offer.​

The concession they now make​, while welcome, is only made so that they will look like the "good guys​." There are still other issues in the VA that need to be addressed. Why won't they work with a team comprised of staff and volunteers to come up with a win-win document for all concerned? ​If they talk about wanting to rebuild a relationship, that would be a constructive way to start.​

Posted by Hmmm
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Feb 21, 2015 at 5:46 pm
Hmmm is a registered user.

This never should have happened this way. While I've been tempted to apply as a volunteer, I've had mixed experiences with their vols and have witnessed some eyebrow-raising incidents. I'm also always wary of the "opportunity" to work for free while being treated as if they're doing me a favor. Now we aren't even certain we want to keep our membership. This a lot like an episode of Midsomer Murder!