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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE

out that Southport has many housing units, commercial
businesses and amenities such as a daycare, golf course Peter Sharkey, the Facilities Coordinator, knows first-hand how
daunting the task of managing customer requests can be. He
Facilities Department and school, just like any other town. “Southport is responsible has an in-depth knowledge of Southport’s secret weapon: the
Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
for ensuring each of those people have water, electricity, the
streets cleared, the grass cut and the sewer and trash dealt
with,” Taylor explains. “We have to be responsible to ensure I’m proud to see how the site
we make decisions that ensure the stable supply of all these
items both today and for years to come.” has physically transformed into
a thriving community where
Of course, as any municipal employee could tell you,
operating a town is comprised of both exciting large-scale people come to work, live and
t’s an analogy as old as time: in order for a machine to a Transport Canada Certified 24/7 public use airport. With projects balanced with the more play.
function as a whole, the many parts must each fill their role. such an immense property, one would easily imagine a
While each part has a different purpose, they must all work much larger team of staff dedicated to
together. maintenance and improvements. “[It’s] revolutionized how customers submit maintenance
requests and how technicians carry out and document
In real life, organizations and departments are made up of Though Southport’s team is their work,” Sharkey explains.
people, not parts. Though employees are more multi-faceted not large, they manage the Customers,
than single-function parts, the analogy can still be applied to both
the Facilities Department at Southport. residential
and commercial
As with any property management company, facilities alike, are
maintenance and development plays a major role. Without able to request
facilities to lease, Southport would cease to be a property maintenance and
management company.
receive an email
The Facilities Department ensures all buildings remain in notification of the
good condition through regular preventative maintenance scheduled date of work and
and responding to specific customer requests. In addition, complicated when the request is completed.
the department also manages new development and tasks as a well-oiled The system also allows for incoming requests to receive
capital renovation on Southport’s site infrastructure, machine. The department a priority rating, much like patients being triaged in the
airport and buildings. consists of the planning and emergency room of a hospital. Just as a heart attack in a
administrative staff and the team of hospital receives priority over a sprained ankle, a burst pipe at
mundane,
We’re realizing the full potential maintenance technicians. Overseeing routine Southport would get priority over a squeaky door hinge.
of Southport by maintaining the facilities department is the Director of tasks. The last benefit of the CMMS is that it allows for hours worked
Operations, Peter Harrison. Harrison is the
existing assets and planning new authority for carrying out the strategic direction of Southport Teresa to be tracked, helping the department to always aim for
Reichert, the
capital construction. as set out by the Board of Directors. Operations maximum efficiency.

“We’re realizing the full potential of Southport by maintaining Administrative Implementing CMMS isn’t the only innovation that Southport
The importance of the Facilities Department can also be seen existing assets and planning new capital construction,” Assistant at has had in recent years. Sharkey also points out that
in sheer numbers: this department comprises nearly half of all explains Harrison. “As a not-for-profit company, every dollar Southport, notes how Southport has taken a bold step by endeavoring into more
full-time employees at Southport. Despite making up the near we make is reinvested back into our site infrastructure and diversified the work of the department capital projects and hiring more technicians.
majority of employees, the department isn’t large. Just nine airport.” Harrison is also responsible for the operation of is. “The size and nature of the work is vast,” she says, giving
full-time employees plus a seasonal student worker are on the other departments that use the facilities, including Property the example of the multi-million dollar renovation of the Central This new direction has created more opportunities for
payroll. Management and Recreation. Plains RecPlex compared to the day-to-day task of fixing a projects on site. A recent accomplishment of the department
clogged toilet in a residential unit. is the renovation of Mynarski House, one of Southport’s
This statistic becomes noteworthy when taking into account Managing the day-to-day operations and new projects is accommodations buildings. The individual rooms and suites
the considerable size of the Southport site. The 607 hectare Bryce Taylor. As the Manager, Facilities he is responsible for For a company like Southport, it’s always a balancing act received a complete renewal with brand new bathrooms, fresh
site includes more than a dozen commercial buildings, 188 seeing projects to completion, whether they are big or small. of taking on new projects and completing scheduled and paint and updated flooring. The common kitchens on each floor
residential units, a multi-million dollar recreation facility and Taylor says his job is exactly like running a town. He points customer maintenance requests. [ continued on page 22 ]

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