I would have to agree with you Joe. The right person could really make a difference if they approached it correctly. Between the savings on staff and the % on the sale of homes, there is more than enough $$ to really provide what the community wants.

The key phrase here is "what the community wants". The only way to do that is to be in the community, get to know the community, and be involved in the community. I am not sure that $50,000 is enough for the right person, but it is close. We aren't talking about a "party planner". We have gone that route, and it hasn't been effective. We need somebody who can engage socially and network with people, form support groups and teams, work with clubs, service organizations, etc. I would meet with two families a day, every day. Get to know them and find out what they are looking for in the community. I have done this in my past jobs, though in those cases, it only took 3-6 months because we are talking about a few hundred families. Here, we are looking at 1200, with more every day. Still, even a fraction of the total would show a care and concern for the community and the people living here.

I could go on, I have a bottomless pit of ideas!