Seabrook	UPDATED: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
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On behalf of those who live here

Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006

Resident Advisory Council is voice of the community

By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

“We all have the same objective,” says Gary Baldwin, who recently became president of Seabrook’s Resident Advisory Council, “and that is to maintain and improve the lifestyle and environment here.”

But in a community with nearly 1,500 residents and a professional management team that oversees some 630 staff members, it’s hardly surprising that people have different ideas on how to pursue this objective. “There are some things that happen here that we don’t always agree on initially,” says Baldwin.

And that’s the value of having a Resident Advisory Council.

Newly reorganized
The Resident Advisory Council is a ten-member board elected by the community to represent its interests to the management of Seabrook. Each council member serves a two-year term, after which he or she must step down for a least one year. Terms are staggered, so that each year five new council members are elected.

The most recent election took place in September and, as is the custom, all incoming, outgoing, and continuing council members met on October 9 for a luncheon hosted by Seabrook Executive Director Art Sparks. “It’s sort of a festive occasion to thank the people going off the council and welcome the new people coming on,” says Jim Buckley, who just completed a year as council president.

Then after the luncheon, the newly elected and continuing council members held their initial reorganization meeting, choosing officers for the new fiscal year that runs from October 1 to September 30. The council elected Baldwin president, and in accordance with the council by-laws, Buckley became the non-voting president ex officio.

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Two-way communication
“When you’re dealing with the people you represent and also a management team that oversees the operation, communication is very necessary,” says Baldwin. “The Resident Advisory Council gives us the opportunity to ask questions, be heard, and raise a flag if need be. It also allows management to give us a better understanding of their decisions. So it’s really a two-way flow.”

Baldwin notes that the council functions in an advisory capacity only. “The management team has the final say,” he says. “But the good part is, they recognize the value of talking with residents and with the residents’ council. We truly believe that we are part of the decision- making process.”

Director’s advisory committees
At its reorganization meeting, council members were assigned to serve on seven standing committees which are chaired by the directors of each department at Seabrook. The directors choose other residents to serve on their committees as well, often with the advice of the council. In this way, the council—and community— has input into every aspect of Seabrook’s operations. The Resident Advisory Committee meets once a month to hear reports from the Director’s Advisory Committees and to discuss various issues that have been raised by members of the council, management, or the community.

The ears and voice of the community
“There are two ways residents can bring their ideas and concerns to the council,” says Baldwin. “First, they are welcome at any time to walk up to any council member and discuss an issue. Or, they can use our suggestion box, which is at the desk of each clubhouse.”

In addition, the council holds a public meeting every quarter, where residents can speak and ask questions. Seabrook holds a “Town Meeting” each month, where residents can also ask questions. And on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, Baldwin conducts a program that he calls “Issues and Answers.”

“I don’t speak for the council during these sessions,” he says. “But because I do have knowledge of what’s going on with the council and Seabrook, I’m able to explain what’s happening, answer people’s questions, and sometimes put out rumors. The program has been extremely popular. Over 200 people usually come out for it.”

Looking ahead
For the coming year, Baldwin’s main goal is to keep the channels of communication open. “Certainly we have some little things that we want to work on,” he says. “But overall, we think things are going along rather well right now. We just want to keep this community on an upward climb. We’ve got a good group going forward, and I think we’re going to have a great year.”