Resident Council Statement

Purpose

The Resident Council was established and exists to:
  • To promote and develop Sunnyside as a loving, caring community.
  • To serve as an integrating agent for all residents.
  • To serve as a resident liaison with the Sunnyside Executive Director and Sunnyside Communities governing board.
  • To bring member concerns to the attention of the administration.
  • To serve as a liaison with Sunnyside Communities two (2) other campuses (King's Grant and Summit Square); and the area's two (2) other major retirement communities (Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community & Bridgewater Retirement Community)
  The Resident Council is led by five (5) officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasury, Past President). They are will be recruited by a Council ad-hoc committee and approved by a the council. To be eligible to serve, officers shall have been in residence at Sunnyside for at least two years. Officers of the Council shall serve for a period of at least one two-year term following the February meeting, but no more than two consecutive terms. The Resident Council is guided in its duties by an "Executive Committee" consisting of: the Council's five (5) Officers, the Chair of the Highlands Association, a designated Area Representatives from the IL areas of the Village & Glen (on a quarterly rotational basis), two (2) representatives from the Eiland Center, two (2) representatives from Pannill Health Center, and the Chair of the Strategy Working Committee. The Sunnyside Executive Director attends Executive Committee meetings as a non-voting member.
The full Resident Council is composed of 28 members:
  • 5 Council Officers
  • 5 representatives from the Highlands Association
  • 7 Village & Glen IL Area Representative
  • 2 representatives (one staff, one resident)  from HealthCare (Pannill Center)
  • 2 representatives (one staff, one resident) from Assisted Living (Eiland Center)
  • 6 Standing Committee Chairs (Sunny Treasures, Strategic Working Group, Green Development, Employee Christmas Fund, the Technology Forum, and Neighbors Committees), and:
  • 1 Ex Officio, non-voting member (the Sunnyside Campus Executive Director)

Activities

The major activities are:
  • Serving as an integrating agent for all residents and groups, with an emphasis on advocacy and coordination
  • Respond to concerns and suggestions from resident Associations, Village & Glen IL Area Representatives, and individual residents
  • Assisting and supporting the Administration's mission to care for residents
  • Assisting in the support of campus-wide communications and information flow
  • Conducting Quarterly meetings open to all campus residents
  • Monitoring and promoting the work of the standing committees
  • Reviewing and approving (on an annual basis at the February meeting of the Resident Council) the distribution of all funds raised by the Sunny Treasures Committee
  • Ensuring the appointment an independent two-person committee to conduct an annual review of the books of the Resident Council Treasurer and the Sunny Treasures Treasurer by February 15th
  • Coordinating annual "Tri-Community Meetings" (hosting a meeting every third year and attending meetings hosted by the other communities in the remaining 2 years)
  • Participating with King's Grant and Summit Square in annual "Sunnyside Communities Gatherings"

Meetings

Quarterly - Meetings of the Resident Council shall be held quarterly at 10:30 a.m. on the 3rd Friday of February, May, August and November.  These will be shown live on Channel 971 whenever possible. On the order of the President, or at the request of three (3) members of the Council, the Council president shall call a special meeting. The president shall inform the members of its purpose. Meetings may be held without a member of the Administration present.

Contact or More Information

Tom Harkins, President, 437-8748, harkinstg40@gmail.com
or Colleen Cahill Landis, Secretary, 437-8826, colleen.cahill@gmail.com  
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