RANCHO SANTA FE — At a recent Rancho Santa Fe Association Board meeting, fiscal responsibilities were discussed as core principals. RSF Association manager Bill Overton discussed that while fiscal responsibility was of high importance so was relying on expert advice.
“Any board is protected if they rely on expert advice,” he said.
In the effort of being transparent, Overton spent time reviewing an organizational chart of their staff members. He candidly stated that there were a lot of new faces at the Association.
“I want to assure everybody we are fiscally responsibly managing staff,” Overton said.
Months after Overton filled his position earlier this year, he noticed the benefit of adding a couple of new employees that were budgeted and approved after June 30.
The two new staff members were the communications manager and human resources director. Overton went on to say that while the Association wanted to enhance its communications, there were 140 employees in where a human resources director would be of a great advantage.
As Overton went through the organizational chart slide, he mentioned how the Association has added a number of committees which in turn requires more meeting times. This keeps the Association busier with the tasks at hand.
Helping out with the overflow of paperwork, filing and front desk duties, is a new part-time employee, Overton said.
“She works three to four hours a day,” he said. “This helps us cover the lunch break, which is always a challenge in any business like ours.”
Overton also pointed out that their new controller and manager of operations Don May has a new assistant to help out for a variety of items May is responsible for.
Overton told the board and members that the year will end under budget. Overton noted that when adding new support staff, it’s something that he does not take lightly.
“I believe they’re needed to get proper service levels,” he said.
Overton also recognized longstanding employees such as Daria Quay whose tenure has helped new staff members every step of the way.
And by using conservative hiring practices, he said, the Association can be under budget.
Overton told the members and board how he had been asked to create a full staffing analysis to highlight salaries and job descriptions. Overton estimates he will have this fully prepared either in January or February in 2016.
“And I’ll have a full report to the board and the audience at one of these board meetings,” he said. “I’m trying to balance service levels with fiscal responsibility in this area.”
