MinnesotaMel

Professional successes

The goodbye party season is in full swing, with half of the American staff changing between now and August. That means my busy time of the year really kicks in. As the housing person, I arrange the painting, repair and housing assignments (known as house make ready activities) for all of those new people, and make sure that the old people pay for any damage they have caused in the house as well as getting their personal stuff packed out. This year we not only have the replacement of the people who are leaving, but we also have a net increase in new positions of 5 people. Things will be very busy. I started signing new leases last week on houses we located in December. It takes a lot of time to get a house ready to the point where we can sign a lease (nearly 5 months!) and start doing the other things the embassy needs to do to make it work for an American family. These things include installing a generator, appliances, split heater / AC units, etc. I am making one really big change here in Kathmandu. For the first time, in more than 15 years, we are renting an apartment building. We located a wonderful, seismically stable, 6-unit apartment building. For a while the make ready difficulties seemed overwhelming, but it all seems to be working out. Our first occupant will move in at the end of July. Not only will this make an easier make ready season for my busy staff, but it will also be a better financial deal for the American taxpayer. By having one building we save on rental costs, guard salaries and preventive maintenance. It is great to be able to do parts of my job effectively.

posted by MinnesotaMel @ 10:31 PM