Management

MANAGING COMMITTEE  |  DESCRIPTION OF TASKS  |  SUBCOMMITTEE  |  DOCUMENTATION

General

In compliance with the Housing Development Scheme for Retired Persons Act (Act. No. 65 as amended in 1988) and the Regulations in accordance with the specified act promulgated in the Government Gazette R1351/1989, the Oostvallei Body Corporate is responsible for the control, administration and management of Oostvallei Retirement Village. All persons who obtain a housing interest in the Oostvallei Retirement Village automatically become members of the Oostvallei Body Corporate and thus have the right to peruse its responsibilities, as well as the right to access its records and financial statements.

The above-mentioned legal responsibilities indicate that it is the duty of the Oostvallei Body Corporate to insure the buildings in the common area, as well as the residential units, the common property and the exterior of the residential units with the exception of the exterior of the exterior doors and windows and hot water cylinders – as well as to maintain and keep in proper running order all installations on the property.  The Oostvallei Body Corporate must also enforce the House Rules and keep a register of its members.

In order to expedite these responsibilities the Oostvallei Body Corporate have been given the power to establish a levy to finance the expenditure related to its responsibilities; to appoint staff and a managing agent in order to deliver the services agreed to by its members, to improve the facilities in the interest of its members – in fact to implement everything that is required to ensure effective management and administration at the Oostvallei retirement village. The Oostvallei Body Corporate also has the right to appoint a management committee at its Annual General Meeting to act on its behalf through honoring its obligations.

Managing Committee

The Managing Committee comprises seven members of which four are office-bearers responsible for the day-to-day management. The Managing Committee works closely with the developer who, apart from daily interaction with the committee members, also attends the monthly committee meeting. Each committee member is responsible for a specific portfolio to ensure effective management.

The various functions and portfolios are:

Chairman:

Leadership and external communication.

Deputy Chairman:

Internal communication, health and wellness.

Treasurer:

Finance, maintenance, upkeep, repairs and administration.

Secretary:

Secretarial and human resources.

Additional members:

Security, social and catering service, domestic and garden services.

Description of tasks

External communication comprises all external communication with i.e. local and governments authorities, other retirement villages and the media.

Internal communication incorporates communication with occupants of units and their children or guardians.

Health and Wellness is focused on the spiritual and physical health of the residents and can be likened to good neighbourliness i.e. efforts to support them in times of need. This is inclusive of making arrangements with the frail care unit, which has been outsourced to a medical doctor, and nursing staff who deliver basic medical services to all residents who are in need thereof. This service is inclusive of a 24-hour emergency service.

Finance covers the full spectrum, from the creation of an annual budget to the ongoing supervision of income and expenditure. The proposed monthly levies together with the budget are tabled at the Annual General Meeting for the residents’ approval. An independent chartered accountant audits the monthly financial statements of the village and residents are presented with audited statements annually. 

Maintenance, upkeep and repairs are implemented by a supervisor who reports to the Body Corporate and who also renders a limited service at the request of residents who require assistance at their units.

Administration is inclusive of routine office work, as well as the maintenance of the records that are legally required.

Secretarial incorporates the keeping of minutes of the various meetings as well as the handling of a wide range of correspondence.

Human Resources involve the canvassing for, appointment of, dismissal and pensioning of staff, as well as compiling employment contracts and the handling of other personnel matters inclusive of disciplinary hearings. The services of a qualified human resources expert are utilised in handling staff matters.

Security is an important issue that involves two components:

First non-medical emergency situations for which there is an emergency plan that has been registered with the Directorate of Civil Protection of the Tshwane Municipality. The safety sub-committee handles such matters with the cooperation of block leaders and assistant-block leaders who were in any event appointed from the nine phases of the village.

In the second place there are security issues that are aimed at maintaining the most outstanding perimeter security. Strict entry control is maintained. The security service has been contracted out, but the gatekeepers have been personally trained by residents in an effort to ensure that they comply with the village’s exclusive requirements. In addition use is made of video cameras, electrified fences, alarms and lights that are automatically activated if untoward entry is sought.  In areas where a high fence wall is interspersed with a strengthened trellis fence cement has been applied to prevent efforts to tunnel through under the fence. In addition the fence has been electrified from the bottom up. There are also further security measures that are not being made public.

In an effort to stimulate social life, regular cultural outings and productions featuring well-known artists are organised. In addition there are various groups who play cards, word games and billiards. The committee member responsible for the social portfolio and culinary services takes care of this and also organises monthly events as well as theme evenings where residents can make contact with other residents in the village. A large screen and projector makes sport broadcasts and other television programmes and films possible in the community hall.

The catering service has been outsourced and provides residents and their guests with affordable lunches. The responsible committee member keeps a watchful eye to ensure that pricing is always reasonable and quality is maintained.

As a result of security issues private domestic services are no longer allowed in the village and the odd domestic help who are still working in the village are being phased out. The management association is now offering this service and every resident is entitled to one shift of three hours per week. Additional shifts are available at a reasonable tariff and can be obtained through the administrative office. This service is managed by office management, but monitored by a committee member.

For the same reason private gardeners are no longer allowed, but a gardening service supervised by the garden caretaker is rendered. Depending on the size of the garden residents are allowed one hour or half an hour shift per week by the gardener who is in the employ of the Body Corporate. This does not include mowing the lawn, which is attended to on a communal basis. A committee member controls this service.

Sub-Committee

The sub-committees support the management committee in the implementation of its responsibilities. The sub-committees comprise voluntary residents who have specific specialities.  A major objective of the appointment of these sub-committees is to ensure resident contributions and involvement in the daily management of the village.

There are the following sub-committees:

  Library sub-committee

  Financial sub-committee

  Legal sub-committee

  Garden sub-committee

  Security sub-committee

  Welfare sub-committee

Even where it is not considered necessary to have sub-committees residents are regularly consulted on the strengths of their specialist knowledge to make contributions on the strength of their knowledge.

The resident architect would for instance be requested to contribute to building matters by assisting with the drawing up of building plans. By the same token residents who have been involved in the medical field will be consulted on medical matters. In this way all tasks can be handled in a professional manner.

Printer friendly version of this page