The bastards did it!

Seems to me that most positions in management works under the Peter Principle (i.e. people in a hierarchy tend to rise to their "maximum level of incompetence") ?

 

In fairness, not for profits seldom compete with for profit corporations when it comes to hiring the really good employees. While i was on the board the RCSC had hired a golf/grounds maintenance guy who was nothing short of spectacular. He lasted about 6 months because he got a job offer from a golf course that offered him about twice as much.

With that out of the way, here's the rest of the story. The Del E Webb Development Corporation (DEVCO) hired the best of the best, it was Webb's greatest strength; surround yourself with great people. One would assume when they left in 1978 to build Sun City West, we would be in trouble. But, we weren't. Nope, the community of 40,000 plus supplemented the hired workforce by serving on committees and as volunteers in a large segment of the governance process and while there were rough patches we always came through.

Now the latest management style is to hire people loyal to the gm. Not to say we haven't had good employees, but more often than not the first quality is loyalty. It's one way to run a company, obviously not one i am enamored by. When top down control is prevalent, people tend to shy away from innovation and simply do what they are expected to do. No more, no less.

 

I've written it so many times even i get tired of seeing it in print: "The biggest problem with Sun City is it's too big. The best thing about Sun City is its so large." Conflicting statements, but both things can be true at once. There's a reason new age restricted communities are far smaller, actually there's several. However, none of them are the point here. Our size allows us the luxury of doing way more stuff than smaller communities. It also should force us to be more strategic in our planning. Unfortunately...it hasn't.

The other thing about Sun City is the turnover. With 27,000 rooftops and 2000 home sales per year, you can do the math. The community population changes by about 50% each 10 years (actually that's a conservative number). What that ultimately means is all of the new folks have virtually no knowledge of what was or how we got to where we are. Luckily several of us posting here were around in the "good old days." You know, back when the members were owners and not just cardholders.

Which brings me full circle to my comments in the above post. Before the current GM was hired committees filled with residents took an active role in the decision making process. Nope, they didn't have the authority to make the final decision, but the elected boards relied on them and their input. Aggie can recall how as committee members we were involved and committed. One of the things the current GM did, once she got all her people in management positions, was to dramatically change the role of committees. She got rid of several and she changed how they were made up. It neutered them and as the changes were made many people simply quit.

Committees can be a pain in the ass, especially if you have a preordained outcome. They get in the way of doing what you want rather than what the community thinks is important. Which ultimately was my point above. Not for profits can't compete with for profit corporations for the best of the best employees. What they can do is use the massive pool of community members who have an amazing amount of knowledge and experience to supplement the shortcomings of not being able to afford the quality employees who more often than not go where the pay is far better.

Sadly, we saw just the opposite of that in Sun City over the past 15 years.

 

And as far as the board of directors goes, that loyalty belongs to be with the bylaws!

We still haven't "officially" heard anything from them regarding the dismissal of Director McAdam, or a replacement! The articles of incorporation says a director shall serve for a term of 3 years AND until a successor is installed! Therefore, one must assume that Karen is still a director?

 

By-laws shmylaws, who cares what they say? "We're a private corporation (albeit not for profit) and we can do what we want!"

Besides, what's anyone going to do about it? Past boards and the gm fixed it so they can never get to us. So cool to be invincible.

 

That's exactly why director McAdam should accuse the board of violating her right to due process as required under Title 10.

The RCSC board will never approve any challenge to their poor decisions and will always vote "no" even if another board member were to challenge their decision.

The only recourse, in my opinion, is for Director McAdam to challenge her dismissal thru actual legal action. Nothing else will get the boards attention and they will simply continue to do what they damn well please.

There are so many rules the board violated when they dismissed director McAdam I can't begin to list them all...but I can show you the rules whether you're referring to Robert's Rules, the RCSC bylaws or Title 10.

The only thing the board has to offer is their opinion. I can show you the actual facts!

 

Come on FYI, never let the "facts" get in the way of the board doing what they want. It's interesting in that my constant lament has been a board who has simply followed the lead of the general manager and become the proverbial rubber stamp. Now as the McAdam/Brehm debacle has unfolded the question i have is the board now asserting themselves and doing it or is the gm sitting in the background pushing buttons? My sense is as the gm is already on the slippery slope out the door and this is the work of 2 or 3 of the more aggressive board members who hate being challenged.

In all likelihood, we'll never know. Unless of course Karen elects to push this to a higher authority and then the details would become available. It's always a tough choice on whether to take them on or simply pick up a packet and run again. Time will tell eh?

 

I certainly hope the board is smart enough not to put all their eggs in one basket and be relying on the advise of the retiring gm. She'll be leaving office and leaving the board high and dry to fend for themselves and it's quite obvious the board hasn't got a clue of what their own rules demand!

The board simply needs to get their own affairs in order, do the right thing, and learn what the rules are and start complying with them. Only then will they once again gain the respect of the general membership!

 

When the pigs fly brother, when the pigs fly.

 

Not a very optimistic outcome BP! So...have you raised the white flag and surrendered to the beast or do you have a way to put this train back on the rails? I guess the magic word is "quorum?"

 

I know FYI and the shits is i am an optimist at heart. No white flags though, not yet. In fact we just went over 7000 reads and that is one kick ass total. Every journey begins with the first step. Sun City and all that it offers will always be a special place, we can make it better than this.

 

Anyone else heard that Eck is trying to get hired on as a consultant after her retirement? Gawd, this would be a flippin disaster. Just say "NO MORE ECK"

 

I got one better! I heard a rumor that Director Wilson was going to appoint Director Hoffer as the Parliamentarian after he leaves office!

You would think that if he was that smart he would have informed Director Wilson of all the violations to the bylaws she committed?

Just say "NO MORE HOFFER"

 

Scary guys, i can't think of anything worse than clinging to either of the two of them. It's time to move on. Sorry, not trying to be unkind, but enough is enough.

 

That's really encouraging since there has only been 11 different people who have actually posted comments to this thread!?!? Who are all those who are watching and will they show-up at the September meeting?

 

Nice to see Carole joining in. Not unusual FYI, always way more readers than posters.

This is the second time i have seen or read about the possibility of retaining the gm in a consultant position. Rumors are just that, until they become reality. Let me make this point very loud and clear: If we need her as a consultant then we apparently hired the wrong General Manager.

 

He's too busy on his personal cell phone during the board meetings (evidence clear as day on the video of the last board meeting) to be bothered with bylaws. "TAKE BACK OUR COMMUNITY "

 

DITTO THAT!