Letter: Wilkinsons have managed Glen Manor House superbly

EastBayRI.com ·

To the editor:

Some 23 years ago, the Glen Manor House Authority recommended to the Town Council that first Katie and then Don Wilkinson be contracted with as resident manager and resident property manager of the Glen Manor House. Katie’s contract was incentive-based (a percentage of sales) and Don’s was straight salary, no benefits in either.

Over the years these contracts have been modified and extended to the mutual satisfaction of the Wilkinsons and the town (expire June 30, 2017). The town administrator is now preparing an RFP to competitively award this contract, apparently without vote of the council.

For more than 20 years the Wilkinsons have both grown the business of the Manor House and have overseen the restoration of the House and property so that it is now a Portsmouth jewel. Under the general direction of the Glen Manor House Authority the Wilkinsons have done an outstanding job of managing the use of the House for private functions, overseeing its restoration and preservation, and growing the profitability of the House. In 1991/1992 when they were hired, sales were only $53,000.

Last year sales were $591,000, expenditures were $220,000 for a profit of $370,000 to the town. Since the Wilkinsons have become managers in 1993, over $2.6 million dollars has been provided to the town general fund and over $1.5 million has been applied to Manor House capital improvements. 

Of perhaps equal importance, the Wilkinsons have opened the House and remained on duty without their usual compensation for numerous events for the town and its residents. It’s also noted that town residents may under the present ground rules rent the property for half of the cost of non-residents.. Seventy-five weddings are already booked for next year. Clearly, the Wilkinsons’ work has been a win-win situation for the town and has become a model for the other town properties.

I have had the pleasure of serving on the Glen Manor House Authority for over 20 years overseeing the work of the Wilkinsons. I urge that the council, either new or old, will extend the Wilkinsons’ contract for another three years during which time, should they desire to retire, an orderly transfer to new management may occur.

John F. Brady

206 Immokolee Drive

Portsmouth

Glen Manor House, letters, opinion