By Julia Boyle

THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Seabrook’s annual fourmonth election season came to a close at 8:30 p.m. September 17, as residents cast the last few votes for the Resident Advisory Council (RAC). Out of nine candidates, the community elected five new  members to the ten-member council.

Four other previous members stepped down, but they will meet with new  members this month to mentor them in the council’s procedures. At the 2007–2008 council’s first official meeting on October 9, members will elect officers.

‘Eyes and ears’ of the community

“The Resident Advisory Council’s role is simple—we serve as the eyes and ears of the resident body and as a sounding board for management,” says Gary Baldwin, who just finished his two-year term as president. Baldwin says he joined the RAC five years ago when he moved to Seabrook because he felt he had more time and energy to get involved.

He says the RAC is tuned in to every aspect of the community. Members chair one of seven committees. Each committee corresponds to a management department: general services, resident life, sales and marketing, medical services, dining services, human resources, and finance.

Committees and department directors meet monthly to keep the line of communication open between residents and management. “That’s where all the work and success is done,” Baldwin says.

New this year

The RAC holds quarterly meetings with all council members and anyone else from the community who would like to attend. “We call it ‘Coffee with the Council,’” Baldwin says. “More than 100 people came to the last one.”

For the first time this year they held one the day after the election for people to meet and talk with new council members.