26 Jan President’s Message – February 2014
I am happy to inform you that we have worked out an intermediate solution to providing the assistance the FHA Board needs to manage the ongoing business of the Association. We’ve reached agreement with TALIS on a simple nine-month extension of its current contract to carry through the end of 2014 without interruption.
Why is a competent and consistent community management service so important to the Association? First, once our budget is set, it collects our assessments, follows up on delinquent payments, handles our banking and bill paying, and keeps all our financial records, providing monthly reports along the way.
Second, the community manager keeps a system of records for the Association, both current operating records for communicating with members and historical archives such as covenants, property records, Board resolutions, bylaws and many other important documents. This is critical because, while the FHA has had a long life and aspires to a much longer one, board members come and go on a regular basis.
Third, the community manger provides a “face” to our members for three hours a day during the business week at the Gathering Place. The person currently filling that role is Jeanette Travis, with whom many of you already interact for handling Gathering Place rental payments, processing FHA forms, updating address information, and answering many types of general questions about FHA and the community. While dealing with the membership at large, she is also providing valuable administrative support in less visible ways to the FHA Board.
Finally, the community manager provides ongoing professional advice and assistance to FHA Board members in carrying out their roles in managing the affairs of the Association.
The agreement with TALIS for the remainder of 2014 will give the Board the opportunity to examine its relationship with a community manager in terms of its current and near-term future needs. Fearrington is still a growing (almost 1200 homes) community in a rapidly advancing technological age. Drawing on our skillful and diverse volunteer base, we do many things for ourselves, but we want to be sure we have the supports in place to do them effectively.
Joe Mottola, FHA President