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Committee Organization - MVF Style

Committee Organization – MVF Style

The Roles We Play The Board of Directors establish policy, management implements policy and the committees advise the board on policy.

Committees advise the Board of Directors on policy, assists the board in developing, monitoring programs and activities to preserve and protect the property values within the community in accordance with each committee’s charter. MVF has three classifications of committees, Committees of the board, such as the Personnel Cte. Committees of the membership, Nominating, ARB, Recreation, Audit & Election standing committees, and the Executive Committee which is a committee of board members and Officers.

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The Personnel Committee, is the only board membership committee and exercises in behalf of entire board the power of the board to appoint and remove at pleasure all officers, agents and employees and duties of the board to prescribe employees their and fix their compensation. Despite the critical important duties and responsibilities of its members the Personnel Committee only meets once a year to approve the annual budget salary guidelines for the Foundation’s four and a half million personnel budget.

The Board of Directors may appoint such other committees, as it deems desirable.

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In the chapter On Committees from the book Medusa & the Snail author Lewis Thomas writes, The marks of selfness are laid out in our behavior irreversibly, unequivocally, whether we are assembled in groups or off on a stroll alone. Nobody can be aware of the unique immunologic labels of anyone else, outside a laboratory, nor can we smell with any reliability the phenomenal differences among ourselves. So, all we have to go by is how we walk, sound, write letters, turn our heads. We are infallible at this. Nobody is really quite like anyone else; there are reminders here and there, but no exact duplicates; we are four billion unique individuals.

Thus when committees gather, each member is necessarily an actor, uncontrollably acting out the part of himself, reading the lines that identify him, asserting his identity. This takes quite a lot of time and energy, and while it is going on there is little chance of anything else getting done. Many committees have been appointed in one year and gone on working well into the next decade, with nothing happening beyond these extended, uninterruptible displays by each member of his special behavioral marks

If it were not for such compulsive behavior by the individuals, committees would be a marvelous invention for getting collective thinking done. But there it is. We are designed, coded, it seems, to place high priority on being individuals, and we must do this first, at whatever cost, even if it means disability for the group.

The July 12 2013 edition of the Montgomery Village News lead In the News feature by Mike Conroy headlined New MVF Board member appointed at June meeting. “Linda Moore was unanimously appointed…and will be seated at the July 25 meeting, and her term will end in March 2016. Moore brings professional experience in public administration, transportation, economic development, small business development and environmental matters to the MVF Board.  In addition, she has been an active participant in Village affairs through the Transportation Development & Public Facilities (TD&PF), Vision 2030, MVGC Joint Property and Joint Nike Missile Site committees.

Also in attendance, were elected officials Senator Nancy King and Delegates Charles Barkley, Kirill Reznik and Shane Robinson, each gave an overview of the latest legislative session. Topics included telecommunications tax, M-83, development of MV golf course, the Mike Missile Site, towering signs, the gas tax, transportation issues, farmers’ market winery restrictions, the Water Quality Protection Charge (WQPC), native plant species, health care reform and underage gambling laws.

EVP REPORT Dave Humpton cited continuing promotion of the 2030 report in relation to the Gaithersburg East / Montgomery Village Master Plan Update; the MVGC Joint Property Committee; the flourish branding campaign; and efforts to enhance green operations.

The Nature of Montgomery Village blog posted on May 8th stated the volunteer leadership of the Foundation believes that external matters, (representing the interest of Montgomery Village to State and County governments and their agencies), is a priority over internal matters, (providing maintenance of buildings and grounds, cost effectively deliver mandated services and sound financial management). There is an acceptance in the Village of the staff’s administration of financial matters, the various committees’ input and board’s overall oversight of the Foundation’s operations. Supervising Personnel-MVF Style blog posted on July 15th identified that board supervision and monitoring of staff performance has been grossly neglected. 

The 2013 Board of Directors election Candidate’s Night discussions and Candidate Statements predominately addressed external concerns and challenges such as town sector zoning, Gaithersburg East Master Plan M-83, Mid-County Highway, Goshen Road widening, Webb Track development and Lake Whetstone dredging.

While Government Relations is a key element of the Foundation’s activities the paramount obligation of the Board of Director is Internal. The Board of Directors has the legal power and total control over the internal operation and organization but has little control or influence over the Montgomery County Government, the State of Maryland and their agencies. In case you have not noticed there are some of us who believe MVF is in the “worst financial condition in history” and the infrastructure of Common Property assets continuing to deteriorate at a much faster rate than the Foundation’s costly restoration remedies are being implemented.

Political Action activity in other Homeowner Associations and Condominiums similar to Montgomery Village usually operates through designated committees that work with Political Action Committees of trade associations such as the Community Associations Institute or the Apartment & Building Owners and Managers Association (AOBA) and national or regional environmental advocacy organizations.

Government Liaison is routinely preformed on the working staff level in coordinating, cooperative and working with the County Department of Public Works and Environmental Protection on Street Tree maintenance and replacement, County street resurfacing and repair, Street light maintenance, storm water management, lake dredging and shore line restoration.

July 12 2013 edition the Montgomery Village News President’s Message Putting our best foot forward by Robert Hydorn MVF President

As I drive down MV Avenue in the morning, a smile comes over my face. The median is absolutely manicured. The flowers at the Blue Star memorial, on the end caps and around the Village announce sign are in full bloom. As I pass the Gordon Bowie Music Pavilion, I think about the terrific weekend Summer concerts, the sun glints off Lake Whetstone in the early morning light. All this is to say that, as steward of Montgomery Village, we are working to make a great place better.

It ‘s gratifying to see realtor ads on the Internet mentioning our many Village amenities and to Montgomery Village on the list of communities with a Farmers’ Market. There’s a surge of vitality in the Village. Our seven Village swimming pools attract resident of all ages. As we bring our community together and showcase what we have for future homebuyers, it’s important to put our best foot forward.

Speaking of putting our best foot forward, the MVF Board has decided to make it easier for Village residents to update their homes by dropping the $25 fee charged for review of exterior home changes by the ARS and ARB. We hope that by doing this, we will eliminate a nuisance fee and encourage Village homeowners to continue to upgrade and update their homes.

Montgomery Village is blessed with an excellent Board of Directors and a top-notch staff who work hard to make life in the Village enjoyable.

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