Wiley Updates Board on Welcome Home Property Services Contract
At the January 5, 2022 Board Discussion Session a new Grounds Maintenance Contract was presented by Parks and Recreation Manager, Terry Wiley.
Manager Wiley stated that $64,200 was approved in the 2022 budget to aid the Parks and Recreation grounds maintenance team with its work. This is needed due to a shortage of workers.
Normally, full staff for the grounds and maintenance crew consists of 11 people plus the Grounds Crew Manager, Norman Meredith. Currently, there are only 4 HSVPOA employees plus Meredith, on staff.
Parks and Recreation Division Manager, Terry Wiley said that the POA team is focusing on amenities such as The Woodlands and Coronado Center, to name a couple. The POA is contracting out the grounds work including the gates, lakes, administration building, and police department. Welcome Home Property Services was awarded the bid. This company also works at Diamante. Only two out of five vendors showed interest in bidding on the contract.
Interim General Manager, John Paul, stated, “This is something we have to look at more and more because not only are we having trouble hiring people,” it is often more economical to contract out the work. “An ROI must be done on everything and sometimes it makes more sense to contract out the work rather than hire people,” explained the GM.
Paul continued, “Right now, they are going this way for the current year.”
Chair Joanie Corry asked, “Does that mean we do not need to replace those workers?”
Paul responded, “I think we need to wait and see how this goes this year”… and whether the POA continues to have trouble hiring staff for these jobs. All 11 grounds crew positions will not be filled this year. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Paul said, “If we know someone is a good worker, we will probably hire them.” But the POA will still make sure it comes in on budget in this area.
Board Director, Pam Avila asked, “Since basically this contract is replacing or covering seven workers, what is the difference in the payment we would be putting out for those seven workers, versus this contract?”
Wiley replied, “If I am not mistaken, we would be saving about $10,000 over the two full-time employees it would take. Where right now, we have 11. If this works out, we can get by with 9. This money [$64,200 for the Welcome Home Property Services contract] replaces two full-time positions. I believe those two positions would be about $72,000 or $74,000.” This amount includes benefits.
Controller Coreena Fetterhoff said that it makes more sense to contract this work than to hire POA staff.
Paul said that Welcome Home Property Services does a good job at Diamante.
Corry asked, “What about the fire department? I didn’t notice them on the contract. Is that an omission?” The answer was the Fire Department does its own mowing.
By Cheryl Dowden, January 7, 2022
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Chris von Aspern
01/08/2022 — 4:42 pm
They needed more money to improve pay and hire staff. Now they are abdicating to outsourcing like many cities drowning in debt have done. This is just a start … and it will get worse because there will never be enough money once they start outsourcing everything. And … if these contractors can find employees … are managers really searching for new hires … especially when they can offer benefits and give them the training and experience needed to better serve Villagers!
Tom Blakeman
01/10/2022 — 5:17 pm
What we have here and are developing at light speed is a cadre of ‘managers’ who don’t actually manage anything. They just dream up more ways to spend our money, dream up fanciful justifications for doing so and hire in virtually everything needed to support the enterprise known as Hot Springs Village. Lease everything, outsource everything, maintain nothing. Gates, golf carts, fleet vehicles, garbage trucks, water meters, grass cutting, dredging, crack sealing, road striping, culvert replacement, engineering work, technical support, printing, legal services, voting services, restaurants, painting, you name it. Pretty soon they will offer a contract service service to play a round of golf for you.
Susan Posner
01/11/2022 — 2:51 pm
No Chris they aren’t searching, if they would treat workers better and villagers treat them better, no nasty insults to them maybe they’d get more. Word outside village is about mistreatment of regular employees. , heard it myself locals know we aren’t acting like a community should. We should be showing the region a better atmosphere, manners or southern hospitality goes a long way.
Alan Coplin
01/26/2022 — 11:31 pm
Mine is more a question then it is a comment; Is this particular contract still open to bid on? And is there anymore open contracts? I would love the opportunity to check them out if there is.
HSVP C
01/27/2022 — 6:12 am
Alan, this motion was passed at yesterday’s board meeting and the final report (from me) will come out within the next several days. I am not sure yet whether it will be a separate report or be included in my board meeting report that links all of the separate articles together.
Alan Coplin
01/28/2022 — 12:20 am
Cheryl, Wow, now isn’t that the story of my life…a day late and a dollar short?
I appreciate the prompt reply though. I will keep a lookout for the final report.
Thanks