Micro Management

The following was sent to all BOD candidates on assigning a slip for a pontoon.

I HAVE BEEN ON THE WAIT LIST FOR MONOHULL BOATS AT LAKE MONTICELLO FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND THERE APPEARS TO BE NO RELIEF IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS OF THIS WRITING (6/8/11)

50% OF THE BOAT SLIPS AT THE MARINA ARE VACANT, RIGHT IN THE HEIGHT OF THE BOATING SEASON.

MY DISCUSSIONS WITH GARY HANIFAN, MARINA MANAGER GET NOWHERE. HE TELLS ME THAT HIS HANDS ARE TIED BY THE MARINA POLICY AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. HE HAS NAMES YELLOWED OUT ON HIS COMPUTER WAITING FOR A REPLY AS TO WHETHER THOSE INDIVIDUALS WANT A SLIP. MR. HANIFAN CONTENDS THAT POLICY PREVENTS HIM FROM EITHER REMOVING OR PLACING THESE NAMES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WAIT LIST EVEN THOUGH HE HAS SPENT OVER 30 DAYS TRYING TO GET A RESPONSE.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE A WAITING LIST FOR THESE SLIPS.

THE BOARD SHOULD STOP MICRO MANAGING. YOU HIRED A COMPETENT MAN TO MANAGE THE MARINA, LET HIM DO IT.

Val's Response:

I agree.

We have hired professionals.  Let them do their jobs.  Please see my blog posting of May 27, 2011: The paid staff are the professionals.  We need to rely on them to do their jobs.  The Board's responsibility is to make sure that the paid professionals are doing their jobs. 

During the Candidates Forum on May 19th, I recommended an on-going audit of the LMOA rules.  This problem of securing a boat slip is evidence of rules that are no longer serving the community.  If the rules are wrong, then let's change them to serve the community. 

Your knowledge and experience are needed to audit the marina rules.  I hope you will volunteer to audit the rules after the new Board is elected.