Friday, January 18, 2008

Follow up on Question About the Pool Salary

In a comment as part of the post below about the Exec. Session, someone asked what Glenn's view or role was on the question of more money for this employee. My response:

Glenn wisely stayed out of that discussion although my interpretation was that he was willing to go along with this for now because otherwise he'd have the task of finding a new pool company. Don't blame him for wanting to push off until later a project like this when he has his hands full with all the equestrian issues. But this is my concern, that we follow the squeaky wheel model of management here and the equestrians are the best at it. That's why I'm hoping to use the blog to recruit others to help bring these other issues to the Board so these get attention as well.

On a side note, we've had many requests approved for increased salaries and benefits for employees. They each may have deserved it, but there is no plan or indication of where the money will come from. I keep hearing "we will address that when we do the budget," but then it is too late. At that point it will be a matter of saying, well since we approved this we have to find a way to pay for it. It's like saying you will buy a new car and wait until you get your review and raise next year to see if you can pay for it. Heads up to the equestrians - a lot of this is centered around the barn so if we have to pay higher salaries we may not have money for all these projects you want, even after raising boarding fees, which is not a done deal. There is already unhappiness rolling through Nellie Gail about that. Stay tuned...

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

In my humble opinion, we need to get business plans for all of our centers, and business management for each of our assets. We are not leveraging our assets to the fullest.

All these problems with the Equestrians (of which I am one) would most likely go away with business principles guiding the centers, not emotion, or greed. I think it would work well for all our centers.

We have not had business people on the board in a long time. We have had people with expertise in other areas, but not solid business experience.

Give us business plans and run the centers as businesses. That would serve the whole community, not just the people who swim, play tennis or ride horses.

Anonymous said...

The Pony Express Presidents Message says that our Swim Tennis and Horse centers are self supporting. I have been reading it for years. Now they are not?

These board members have a lot of experience, and have run this place for a long time. Support your claim that they are not self supporting.

Anonymous said...

For one, the cell phone tower income is not equestrian related. Two, request copies of the financial statements and budgets for the past five years and look for yourself. Two board memebrers ahv admitted in private that the EC needs help from the HOA to stay in the black. Nothing nefarious. They try their best.

Anonymous said...

I disagree with your analysis. The general manger's job, for which he is being paid, is to manage the entire operation of our business. He's been here long enough to get his hands around all of the issues.

Anonymous said...

But that is not how the centers run from waht I've seen under three managers now. Or if it is supposed to be that way, it ain't happening. And why do we call them center managers if they are really vendors? And why do we pay them a salary to run their own business? If they are contracted to run the center then they get their money from their business. We pay them BOTH salaries, perks AND the money from their business to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. If Glenn can manage the programs, scheduling, invoicing, maintenance upkeep etc, then great. But I suspect residents will scream bloody murder if all that is offered is whatever the business owners decide to offer. I'm open to ideas on how to make this all work.

Anonymous said...

I am truly disappointed in the previous board who have "run this place for a long time."

Where is the fiscal responsibility that they campaigned for, and I voted for? Now we are paying vendors to run our centers?

What is wrong with this picture?
How come us residents were never told how this all works?

Anonymous said...

I think it would be logical for those board members who repeatedly "publish" that our horse, swim and tennis centers are self-supporting to produce the evidence. Surely, they do their homework in order to support such a statement. Please publish the data in the Pony Express.

Anonymous said...

What about how all our centers are run? What about the horse center? Who do we pay to run that? I was told we pay Bob and Luis to run swim and tennis for us. I did not believe it. So I came here and I read your reply and see it really is true. Don't they both make money from those places? And we pay them? There must be a good reason for it. Do you know what it is?

I agree with the last person who wrote we should publish it in the Pony Express.

Anonymous said...

How about we lease out our centers? Make sure they pay us enough and let the vendors pay to take over.

That way no one can complain if we are making money from them. That way everyone benefits not just the people that use them.

Anonymous said...

How about those code of ethics?

Anonymous said...

Code of ethics is on the agenda for the February Board meeting. I am working on a draft copy now for the Board.