WILL SELF-MANAGEMENT CAUSE A BIG LOSS OF VOLUNTEERS?

[Rana Goodman]

It has always been said that volunteers are the most valuable resource to our community. Not only are they the life’s blood in making events successful, keeping the prices affordable, they are also what keeps our community tied together with a common string. A string that shows we care because we put our own time and energy into things we plan, enjoy, and carry forward to fruition.

I have never thought of myself as a pessimist, I would much prefer to look at a glass as “half full,” however I have said from the beginning that I believed self-management was a huge error. And with each firing of resident seniors, with each rumbling of committee “sun-setting” and now with the end of Property & Grounds Committee (P&G), I see this glass very much “half empty.”

I also feel the spark of volunteerism is twirling at the bottom of the glass, and when we don’t have our volunteers, do the board and management realize that what follows is salaries, payroll taxes, insurance, bonus, and all the things that come with payrolls?

Without the vetting and discussion of projects by the Properties & Grounds Committee another avenue is closed for homeowner input in the decision making process.  It makes SCA seem like more of a fiefdom and less democratic.

For example, when projects desired by a group of residents or even a club are submitted in a “PIRF” to P&G it goes through many processes all open to the residents, all taking input from the residents and fully hashed over pro- and con. This has always been vital in deciding how we spend OUR money. Taking this input away from the residents/owners of the community and putting these decisions solely in the hands of management leave those thumbs up or down votes open to speculation of favoritism, and worse.

Which committee is next to fall, I’d guess finance, the one I personally have thought of as the most important. Do we need them now that we have Mr. Orleck? Compliance is in the hands of management, will ARC be next too?

[Denise Bianca]

Not that anyone cares what my thoughts are but I am 100% behind you on this. From the beginning I had issues with self management and since it started we have seen issues (like the Spirit magazine). This is OUR community and to have a handful of people (or one person) making all of the decisions is worrisome at best. And who is minding the store?

Thanks, Rana, for your vision.

[Author]

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