New Year Plans in the HOA
Happy New Year! If you are you the kind to make New Year’s resolutions, I have a few ideas for you. In the homeowners association, advance planning is important and New Year’s resolutions are like goals and plans for the future.
As a resident of the community, resolve to appreciate those who serve on the board of directors or on a committee. Rumor has it that those are thankless jobs. Let’s resolve to say thank you and turn that rumor around.
Another good resolution for a few interested homeowners would be to get more involved in the community governance. That would mean joining a committee or running for the board of directors when openings come up. You have heard the stories about how terrible the job can be, but if you join in, that can be turned around just by bringing your point of view to the group. A small change of attitude, something you can bring, can make a big difference to the community.
You may also resolve to cooperate with community leaders and resolve to quit complaining without justification. If you are one of those who is searching to find fault with the community, constantly angry with the board and management, resolve to stop doing that. Resolve to become part of the solution.
A resolution to enhance the community property would be good. Major projects start with an idea (a New Year’s resolution) that becomes a plan. Eventually the plan gets transferred to someone’s task list and the enhancement to the community begins.
For the board of directors a good resolution would be to stop micromanaging the management team and the various staffs. The board’s job is to set policy for the association. When the association has on site management, the staff should be empowered to get the management job done with minimal interference. When most of the work is done by off-site staff or only by committees and board members, the same rule should apply. A policy should be set by the board as a group and the individual board members and committee members should be empowered to accomplish the work based on and within the policies established.
The board should resolve to get the budget in line with the association’s needs for the future. They should also resolve to follow the plan from the reserve study and keep the maintenance from being deferred.
With all these resolutions in place, the association will be on its way to healthy operations. Remember that nothing happens without the cooperation of the residents who live there. It starts with you. Happy New Year!