Four committee structure begins in July; what to know
GRF BOARD
by Marsha Gerber
GRF Board President
A new GRF committee structure enhancing the Foundation’s efficiency and convenience to members is being unveiled this week.
Four new committees (which I call the Big 4) will replace the 11 standing committees that conducted the Foundation’s business. I’ve been told the changes will save about 1,000 staff hours annually that can be devoted to more important tasks. The changes, approved by the GRF Board in April, consolidate related staff and administrative skill sets so it’s more likely productive synergies will emerge. The new plan will make it easier for residents to follow the community’s governance. In addition to cutting the number of committee meetings by over 60%, all GRF committee meetings will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All four meetings will be at the same time and in the same place, 10 a.m. in the Administration Building’s Conference Room A. And a side benefit is that all Mutual monthly meetings will also be consolidated into a single location, Building 5’s Conference Room B.
The revamped committees also will save an enormous number of staff hours. Some of the old committees had seven or eight senior staff members reporting to the committee, along with the necessary recording secretaries and IT help. Each new committee will have one senior director reporting to it, and the staff previously expected to attend will be able to stay working at their posts.
Here are the committees and their responsibilities: The Facilities Committee will meet on the first Tuesday of each month. Chaired by GRF Director Nick Massetti, its main role echoes the previous Physical Property Committees. However, the new committee will oversee the Foundation’s entire physical plant. It will oversee clubhouse maintenance and the $1.7 million annual custodial contract, previously the responsibility of the Recreation Committee.
The Operations Committee meets on the Thursday after the Facilities Committee. This committee gathers together all the Foundation’s operations that depend on information technology or whose delivery could be enhanced by computer applications. It will unite the old IT Committee’s functions with gate access oversight previously in Security, Bus and Traffic, and develop best practices for the newspaper and electronic communication. This committee, led by GRF Director Donna Gambol, will also be examining ways to make repetitive processes in the Stock Transfer Office more efficient and user friendly.
The second Tuesday of the month will see Director Teri Nugent chair the Member Services Committee, which is tasked with the most prominent faceto- face service delivery to current residents. The core duty of her committee is to oversee the previous Recreation Committee’s club, sports, entertainment and programming functions. Member Services also monitors the Security Department’s community patrol and buses, which previously were managed by the Security, Bus and Traffic Committee, and social services coordination, which reported to the Mutual Administration Committee.
The final committee, Administration, will meet on the Thursday following Member Services. This committee, chaired by GRF Vice President William Thompson, oversees the Board’s responsibilities for finance, human resources and mutual administration. The committee monitors the Foundation’s leases and fee structures, whose revenues lower resident monthly assessments by about $6.5 million per year. It will also oversee the preparation, formatting and compliance issues necessary to prepare the GRF’s monthly board meeting.
The 2022-23 GRF Administration Committee, an appointed Committee Restructure Task Force, and the Governing Documents Committee developed, reviewed and amended the committees over four months earlier this year. Due to the Independence Day holiday, the Facilities Committee’s first meeting will be on Monday, July 3. The Operations Committee will meet at its scheduled time on Thursday, July 6.
