The CAN 2010 Community Association Hurricane Guide is available for immediate download online at the website of the Community Advocacy Network (www.canfl.com). Representatives of community associations and other organizations interested in obtaining printed copies of the 2010 Hurricane Guide for distribution may contact CAN by email at dschick@canfl.com or by phone at 954-315-0372.

Florida City and County governments interested in obtaining bulk copies of the 2010 Hurricane Preparedness Guide for free distribution as a public service to condominium, co-ops, mobile home communities and homeowner associations in their areas are encouraged to contact CAN directly for more information.

"When it comes to hurricane preparedness and disaster recovery, Florida community associations stand apart from other single-family and multi-family properties and must operate in keeping with specific parameters laid out in Florida statutes and their own governing documents," said Donna DiMaggio Berger, CAN Executive Director and Managing Partner of the statewide community association law firm of Katzman Garfinkel & Berger.

"The 2010 Community Association Hurricane Preparedness Guide has been designed specifically with these Florida common interest ownership communities in mind," Ms. Berger said. "In advance of the June 1st start of the 2010 storm season, the Community Advocacy Network is making this useful set of tips and recommendations available as a public service to all condo, HOA and other community association Boards, community association managers and City and County officials who want to better prepare themselves for storm-related disaster contingencies this year."

Leading hurricane forecasters are currently predicting above-average activity for the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, with above-average probability of United States and Caribbean major hurricane landfall this year. Forecasters at Colorado State University's Tropical Meteorology Project anticipate a total of 15 named tropical storms, including eight hurricanes -- four of which will be classified as "major," with winds in excess of 110 miles per hour.

The most active tropical storm season in recorded history occurred in 2005, with a total 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes -- seven classified as "major" hurricanes. A record five of those 2005 hurricanes made landfall on the U.S. mainland, including the disastrous hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, which caused major property destruction and devastation to livelihoods of millions of Floridians.

The CAN 2010 Hurricane Preparedness Guide contains useful information to prepare communities in advance of the storm season and alert them to what they should expect in the wake of a storm. Areas covered in detail in the Hurricane Preparedness Guide include:

•Contract Review: explaining why it is important to review the association's contracts with all service providers before the storm season and what to expect in terms of service delivery in a storm's aftermath;
•Document & Record Security: detailing why and how association documents should be preserved and stored for availability in the immediate aftermath of a hurricane disaster;
•Facilities Preparation: including the need to determine if the property is ready to confront the impact of a tropical storm and why documentation of the pre-storm state of the property is crucial to post-storm disaster recovery;
•Member Communications: setting out why and how Boards should avail themselves of all possible means of communication with residents, owners and employees -- before, during and after a storm;
•Emergency Board Powers: with details on the "special powers" conferred by the State Legislature on condominium Boards to enable them to maneuver their association through the difficult post-disaster period;
•Immediate Post-Storm Action: including locating residents and employees, attending to the injured, securing the community and documenting storm damage; and,
•Reconstruction & Restoration: dealings with association attorneys, insurance companies and contractors in dealing with disaster recovery and putting a community back together again.
The Community Advocacy Network was established in 2007 as a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of all who live, work and serve in common interest ownership communities through education, information and advocacy.

Community Advocacy Network membership is open to all Florida common interest ownership communities, including condominiums, co-operatives, homeowner associations, timeshares and mobile home communities. CAN's 11-member volunteer Advisory Council (http://www.canfl.com/advisorycouncil.cfm) represents member communities across the State, and currently includes: Charlotte Greenbarg, Pio Ieraci and Wendy Murray (Broward County); Ed Duch, Jim Hoppensteadt and Ewing Sutherland (Collier County); Bonita Vandall (Lee County); Lawrence Percival and Jack Loeb, Jr. (Miami-Dade County); Barbara Zee (Palm Beach County); and, Joel Jeffrey (St. Lucie County).

For more information about CAN membership or to obtain copies of CAN's 2010 Community Association Hurricane Preparedness Guide, please contact dschick@canfl.com or phone 954-315-0372.

About the Community Advocacy Network (CAN)

The Community Advocacy Network (CAN) is the leading statewide advocacy network dedicated to promoting positive community association legislation while advising legislators to resist the urge to micromanage and over-regulate private residential communities. CAN works through its website, email alerts and tools such as the "Capitol Connection" email system to give association leaders and residents the information and resources they need to play a meaningful part in the legislative process before harmful bills are passed. Capitol Connection enables our members to contact their elected officials at every level of government with just the click of a button. For more information, visit www.canfl.com or call 954-315-0372.

HOAs have management companies that oversee some of the HOA board members’ decisions and serve as a go-to place if HOAs have any questions.

Association Management Inc., which manages 240 associations in the Houston area including several in this area, held its first of three bootcamps March 25 to explain what the responsibilities and duties are for board members and HOAs.

The bootcamp welcomed many local HOA board members and residents who wanted to find out more information about roles, responsibilities and rules for homeowners and the associations.

The purpose of the first bootcamp was to outline the duties of board members, hierarchy of statues, laws that apply to HOAs, rules and regulations, and more important information about what members are responsible for and their roles.

“Homeowners associations are popular, despite negative connotations, because it is a development who had a vision of what the association should be, created this legal document known as the deed restrictions, and then these regulations are enforced in the community for the success of a community as a whole,” David Regenbaum of AMI said.

Another reason HOAs are successful is because of community services they can offer due to their ability to use the collective buying power of the residents to their advantage. HOAs are able to provide services more efficiently and generally at a lower cost than an individual homeowner could obtain.

Community facilities such as pools, parks and lakes are there for the enjoyment of the residents, and the HOA is responsible for maintenance of the common areas and facilities.

“From a homeowners association’s point-of-view, the legal foundation is based on the hierarchy of laws that apply to these associations such as the U.S. Constitution, the IRS Code, Fair Housing Amendments Act, Fair Debt Collection Acts and a few others,” Regenbaum said.

The documents that form the legal foundation for the association are the plat map which lays out the property and establishes boundaries; the declaration, otherwise known as the deed restrictions or covenants; articles of incorporation; the bylaws; and the rules and regulations.

“The most important document is the declaration because it creates the community, creates the interlocking relationship and rights between the various homeowners and what the board must and can do in accordance with governing documents,” Regenbaum added.

AMI encourages HOAs to file their declarations at the county courthouse so homeowners will know what they are responsible for and can also hold their specific HOA liable to these documents.

In regards to roles and responsibilities of the homeowner, the principal rights are the use and enjoyment of common facilities, benefits of common services that are association operated in accordance with governing documents, access to association records and election of board members.

The obligations are payment of assessments, compliance with governing documents, acceptance of community rules and regulations, and loyalty to the HOA.

The HOA board of directors’ roles and responsibilities are protecting, preserving and enhancing the value of the assets of the association and its owners; performing maintenance; seeing to the financial wellbeing of the association; fostering and developing quality of life in the community; and exercising fiscal responsibility.

“Community building is the fundamental priority of the board as it is your obligation to the community,” Regenbaum added.

Regenbaum also outlined the specific roles for the officers, management and the committees of the board that manage items like budget and finance, communication and social to name a few.

The last topic covered at the first bootcamp was financial management because it is the responsibility of HOAs’ boards of directors.

At the end of the session, the guests had a question-and-answer session and brought up topics they hope to have discussed at the other bootcamps held later this year.

The next bootcamps will focus on liabilities HOAs have to deal with, how to handle residents who have not paid assessments, HOA legalities among other topics.

Association Management Inc. has an office in Kingwood located at 900 Rockmead Drive, Suite 144.

For more information on AMI, call 281-358-9090 or log on to www.amitx.com.

Board members, residents and managers of the 54 communities selected as finalists gathered with community association industry leaders at the Awards ceremony last night in Orlando to celebrate the accomplishments of condominium and homeowner associations from across the state. Tom Sorrells, Chief Meteorologist at Orlando's WKMG-TV, was the emcee for the awards presentation, which was held at the Fairwinds Alumni Center on the campus of the University of Central Florida.

The awards are the only independently judged state-wide program that celebrates homeowner and condominium associations setting standards for achievement. Communities with more than 200 units and communities with fewer than 200 units were judged separately in each of nine categories.

"The recipients of these awards are role models for communities throughout Florida," said Jim McMurry, publication director, Florida Community Association Journal. "We were overwhelmed by the high standard of the almost 200 entries we received this year and applaud each of the winning communities for their commitment to improving their associations and in doing so raising the bar for communities across the state."

The presentation of the "Community of the Year Award" was made to the Seven Lakes Condominium Association, a 1,100-home golf and tennis community in Fort Myers, which was a finalist in three categories and the Award recipient in two categories, "Environmental Protection & Preservation" and "Community Relations and Communication."

The selection of the winners was made by independent experts from education, journalism, environmental advocacy, community association management and public safety. To learn more about the judges visit: http://www.communitiesofexcellence.net/judges.html

The 2010 Florida Communities of Excellence Awards also were enhanced by participation of companies that are dedicated to serving the residents of condominiums and homeowner associations who have joined as 2010 corporate sponsors, including Associa, Association Financial Services, AmeriFlood, Aquatic Systems, Comcast, CondoConduit, The Continental Group, Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Progress Energy Florida, Superior Bank, Service America and TD Bank.

Following are the communities honored as recipients of the 2010 Florida Communities of Excellence Awards (200+ unit communities appear first):

BEST WEB SITE

Baldwin Park, Orlando

The award recognizes the redesign of the home page to make it more user friendly and graphically pleasing. The new site includes important community documents, an enhanced "What's Happening" section linking to major area events, and a new a "Meet Your Neighbor" section.

Clearwater Key Association South Beach, Clearwater

Launched in 2009 with a real estate section for posting rentals and sales, the site features board and property manager blogs and live webcasts of board meetings. Photo galleries now connect out-of-town owners with the latest building renovations and social gatherings.

FAMILY FRIENDLY PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES

Lakes of the Meadow, Miami

Community events include a holiday party, fireworks displays for New Year's and the Fourth of July, plus Halloween and Easter events. Additional events include teen parties, bingo, car shows and movie nights.

Images Condominium Association, Kissimmee

The association provides children's activities after school and during school breaks. It secured the donation of refurbished computers for a learning center and hosts family movie nights, pool parties, and holiday functions.

SAFETY & SECURITY

Avalon Park Property Owners Association, Orlando

Residents are involved in Neighborhood Watch and Citizens on Patrol and the community was a 2009 National Night Out winner. A youth council is being started to engage young people along with a text messaging system for residents to report suspicious activity.

Forest Ridge Village Condominium Association, Fernandina Beach

This beach condo cooperates closely with local law enforcement to reduce crime. The Board instituted background checks for all long-term tenants, established a Neighborhood Watch, increased security education and emphasized vehicle control and lighting.

CIVIC VOLUNTEERISM & ADVOCACY

Ibis Property Owners Association, West Palm Beach

This golf and country club community's Volunteer Fair presented 28 organizations offering residents opportunities to support children, nature & animals, the arts, history, the elderly, infirmed and needy. They also support the Ibis Wildlife Foundation; several charities benefiting cancer research and patients; and toy, food, and clothing drives.

The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale

This beachfront condo-hotel is involved in nine, year-round service projects. Programs include adopting a local middle school, food drives, a clothes drive for runaway teens, beach clean-up, and sponsoring a family with a terminally ill parent to stay at the Ritz to leave them with a lasting memory.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Tuscany Bay HOA, Boynton Beach

The community's Emergency Response Team has been certified since 2006 and receives continuing education. Their emergency plan is coordinated with outside agencies and addresses hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires and pandemic flu.

Golden Horn South Condominium Association, Hallandale

The community's disaster response plan includes a command center with impact-resistant glass and a natural gas generator for safe and secure operation during a disaster. They also created a Community Association Response Kit which encourages building evaluations and claims filings to begin as soon as possible in the aftermath of a disaster.

ENERGY & WATER CONSERVATION

Pelican Cove Condominium Association, Sarasota

The award recognizes a $2 million water line replacement project that has reduced water usage by 23 percent. They have also installed solar panels, low-flow water fixtures, programmable thermostats, and compact fluorescent light bulbs; and have minimized watering of landscaping.

Villa Magna Condominium Association, Highland Beach

The community retrofitted its air conditioning system to reduce water and energy consumption. The $1.2 million project also entailed installation of solar panels and heat pumps, solar tinting of lobby windows, adoption of compact fluorescent bulbs for common areas and upgrading to energy efficient appliances.

FINANCIAL INNOVATION

Ocean Village, Fort Pierce

A $400,000 annual budget savings was accomplished through payroll reduction and outsourcing to local firms without eliminating services. Financial accountability has been strengthened, reserves increased, bad debt taken into account, and delinquent assessments assigned to a collections attorney.

Fountain View Villas Master Association, Venice

The community has positively impacted cash flow by requiring quarterly payments only by direct deposit or check to the association's bank. Presently 40% of homeowners use direct deposit bank draft payment. Additionally, improved monitoring has helped reduce utilities costs, and Television and insurance cost reductions were achieved.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Seven Lakes Condominium Association, Fort Myers

Water conservation methods include use of closed-loop waste water treatment for equipment wash water, conversion to low-water-use landscaping, removal of invasive aquatic plants and storm water recycling. Energy savings were achieved with conversion to heat pumps for heating pools, adoption of fluorescent and LED lighting and roof coating for heat reflection. They have established a 5.5-acre natural area.

Aspen Glen, Boynton Beach

The community transformed a dead lake into a thriving habitat for turtles, frogs, fish and ducks by installing an auto-fill system using clean, deep well water, adding fountains and aerators, and stocking the lake with native plants and fish. The result is a beautiful and serene retreat for residents.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Seven Lakes Condominium Association, Fort Myers

Communication is promoted through meetings between the 29 condominium representatives, the general manager, and department managers, as well as through the newsletter. Committees and the board receive input via workshops and time for owner input is scheduled during board meetings. Board member candidates submit resumes and hold a Meet the Candidate Night.

Esplanade Club, Naples

The board receives input from owners through surveys, at workshop meetings, and at open board meetings. Community unity is promoted through numerous social events with up to 80 percent attendance and a special committee representing the unit owners.

Additional information about 2010 Florida Communities of Excellence Awards can be found by visiting www.communitiesofexcellence.net.

About the Florida Community Association Journal
Founded in 1986, the Florida Community Association Journal provides news and vital information to operators of condominiums, homeowners associations, cooperatives and other multi-unit communities and has earned the reputation of being the industry's most authoritative voice. The monthly publication contains news and feature articles dealing with areas of interest to managers and board members, including legal matters, accounting practices, insurance, rules enforcement, cost-saving practices, industry events, building and grounds maintenance, security solutions, education and more. Additional information at www.flcaj.com/.

About Becker & Poliakoff

Becker & Poliakoff is a diverse commercial law firm with more than 130 attorneys in 13 Florida offices, New York City, New Jersey, Nassau, Bahamas, Prague and affiliated international offices. Celebrating its thirty-seventh (37th) year of serving clients, the firm has seven primary areas of practice: Real Estate, Construction, Community Association, Customs & International Trade, Commercial Litigation, Corporate & Securities, and Government Law & Lobbying. For more information, visit: www.becker-poliakoff.com.

The appointment of Ms. Berger, who also serves as Executive Director of the firm's Community Advocacy Network (CAN), reflects a growing trend in law firms nationwide of women reaching the top echelon within legal partnerships, as evidenced by their name appearing on the law firm door.

"The addition of Donna Berger's name to that of our law practice has been made in full recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the firm and to the practice of community association law in the State of Florida," said Leigh Katzman, co-Founding Partner, Katzman Garfinkel & Berger (KG&B).

"Donna would be at the top of anyone's list of leading community association attorneys in Florida and nationwide," said Alan Garfinkel, co-Founding Partner, KG&B. "Her becoming a name partner of our law firm further reflects our commitment to serving common interest ownership communities throughout the State of Florida and emphasizes our unwavering focus on KG&B's core legal practice area of community association law."

Ms. Berger has practiced community association law in Florida since 1991 and joined the law firm in April 2007 as a shareholder. Two years ago she became Managing Partner of the Ft. Lauderdale Office, where she provides legal advice to the firm's more than 1,000 community association clients on matters that include covenant enforcement, covenant amendment, contract review and drafting, as well as statutory and documentary guidelines for the daily administration of their communities.

Since 2007, she has also served as Executive Director of the Community Advocacy Network (CAN), a not-for-profit organization established by the law firm in 2007 to advocate on behalf of those who live, serve and work in common interest ownership communities in Florida. CAN has grown into a statewide organization with a 10-member Advisory Council which speaks on behalf of the interests of more than 1,000,000 Floridians living in private residential communities.

Ms. Berger is a member of the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL) and the Community Association Institute (CAI). She holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

"I am thrilled to have my name added to this dynamic and rapidly expanding law firm and know that my new position as name partner of the firm will enable me to better serve our clients and the growing number of Floridians living in common interest ownership communities throughout our State," Ms. Berger said.

Katzman Garfinkel & Berger is a full service statewide law firm devoted to all aspects of community association representation. The firm handles sophisticated transactional law matters on behalf of its association clients and was one of the first community association law firms to advance all fees and costs for its lien collection and foreclosure cases and is one of the only ones still doing so in today's real estate market. In addition, Katzman Garfinkel & Berger handles property damage claims against insurance companies as well as most construction defect claims against developers on a pure contingency basis.

Named as one of the "Best Places to Work" in 2009 by the South Florida Business Journal, the firm has also been designated as "One of the Most Distinguished Law Firms in America" by Martindale-Hubbell, a peer review rating system spanning more than a century of service evaluating American Law Firms.

For more information about Katzman Garfinkel & Berger, please visit: www.kgblawfirm.com.

About Katzman Garfinkel & Berger (KG&B):

Katzman Garfinkel & Berger is a statewide Florida law firm devoted to community associations with seven strategically located offices throughout the State of Florida. The firm offers residents living in all types of common interest ownership communities a complete set of services including general corporate representation, lien collection and foreclosure, first party insurance claim recovery and construction defect litigation. It was one of the first firms to advance all fees and costs on behalf of communities that are forced to pursue collection of delinquent assessments. For more information, please visit: www.kgblawfirm.com.

While some homeowners chafe when confronted by rules they don't like, 70 percent say their association rules “protect and enhance” property values, while only 2 percent say the opposite. Twenty-seven percent believe rules have no impact. Often called Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), rules in community associations typically address issues such as architectural guidelines, yard upkeep, pets and parking.

Although the enforcement of association rules can generate discontent and calls for more stringent regulation of community associations, only 10 percent of those surveyed want additional government control of association-governed communities. Almost 90 percent oppose more government involvement.

The best and worst

Asked to name the best aspects of living in an association, residents most often site neighborhood attractiveness (23 percent), less maintenance for individual homeowners (22 percent), community safety (13 percent) and property values (11 percent).

Asked to name the worst aspects of their associations, 37 percent say there is nothing bad. That is followed by restrictions on exterior improvements (14 percent), dealing with neighbors (12 percent) and paying assessments (10 percent). Association homeowners pay assessments for services and amenities provided by the association. Services can include landscaping, building maintenance, garbage pickup, snow removal and street lighting. Amenities can include pools, club houses, tennis courts, playgrounds and association-sponsored social functions.

Conflict among neighbors

Of those who cite neighbor-to-neighbor issues, 24 percent say conflict relates to the appearance of homes. Other leading reasons for strife include parking (12 percent), personal habits and noise (11 percent, respectively).

“Conflict and dissention make headlines, and that’s what many Americans read in newspapers and see on television about community associations,” says Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, chief executive officer of Community Associations Institute (CAI). “But when you ask residents themselves, the news is largely positive. While there are serious issues in some communities, this research affirms that vast majority of homeowner board members and professional managers are doing good work for the community associations they serve.”

Homeowners who are unsatisfied need to “step up and play a constructive and positive role in their associations,” Skiba adds. “You get out of your communities what you put into them. There’s no substitute for active and constructive homeowner involvement and no better way to build a true sense of community.”

Based on telephone interviews conducted in December 2009, the survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percent. Zogby International has been tracking public opinion in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Europe since 1984.

Created by CAI in 1975, the Foundation for Community Association Research is an independent, nonprofit organization devoted to common-interest community research, development and scholarship. CAI, with almost 30,000 members and 58 chapters across the country, provides education, resources and best practices to the homeowner volunteer leaders and professionals involved in the governance and management of common-interest communities.

For comparative data on the 2005, 2007 and 2009 national surveys, see What Residents Say About Their Community Associations.

For members and general inquiries, contact the CAI member service team:
Community Associations Institute
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 548-8600
Fax: (703) 684-1581
E-mail: CAI-info@...

The rural subdivision, a gated community with 800 residents, was experiencing excessive afterhours loitering and vandalism at the three community pools, a high-rate of vehicle break-ins and recurring damage to entry gates caused by unauthorized cars attempting to enter the grounds. After the services of a roaming security guard proved costly and ineffective, The Vineyard contracted Pro-Vigil to install and remotely monitor an intelligent network video surveillance system.

Following a detailed site survey, Pro-Vigil opted for a complete IP system comprised of AXIS Q1755 Network Cameras, Axis Camera Station software and Pro-Vigil’s I-Vigil software to remotely monitor eight entry and exit points as well as the swimming pool areas and pavilion. To complete installation, Pro-Vigil chose Motorola Canopy Access Points to enable wireless connections to the gates for ease of installation and to avoid excess cable-trenching costs.

Centrally located Pro-Vigil personnel now oversee up to 16 video feeds from each viewing station and can immediately contact police to report suspicious activity. The team also leverages the motion detection capabilities of Axis network cameras to create after-hours security alerts. Additionally, video is stored for two weeks for forensics purposes.

As a result, problems have virtually been eliminated at the pools and there has been no further damage to the community’s gates, saving the association money on unnecessary repair costs. In addition, by reducing the need for security guard service, The Vineyard has already seen a rapid return on its investment.

In conjunction with the network cameras, Pro-Vigil installed public announcement (PA) systems complete with sirens at the pool locations to remotely issue pool closing announcements or warnings from their central surveillance center to loiterers lingering after hours. Sirens are used to deter illegal activity and disperse groups.
Pro-Vigil’s Ben Molloy, vice president of Business Growth and Development, noted, “We selected Axis network cameras because they are cost-effective, reliable and provide high resolution images that are actionable.”

The AXIS Q1755 Network Cameras provide high-definition views of the monitored areas in both day and night. Images are of such high quality that Pro-Vigil can identify automobiles, individuals, license plates and even community-issued parking decals, when necessary.

Based upon the positive results obtained to date, The Vineyard may expand the use of Axis network cameras to the community’s streets.

“Network video is a very cost-effective means to ensure the safety of communities,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager of Axis Communications Inc. “HDTV network cameras provide the necessary detail at a reasonable bandwidth using H.264 compression, and can pinpoint problems and provide customers and police with the information they require to reduce crime and maintain safety.”

Associations generally have easement or access agreements in place giving providers the right to access their private property for a specified time period. In the past, local telephone companies provided telephone services and local cable companies provided cable television services. For an association, selecting a service provider was relatively easy since choices were few. But in recent years, that's all changed. "Regulatory changes by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), state-wide cable/video franchising, plus new technologies and increased competition from cable, satellite and telephone companies have created confusion and new opportunities for many associations," stated Mr. Abbazia, Principal at Broadband Agreement Specialists. "Now cable companies provide quality Internet and phone services, while phone companies also offer quality television and Internet services. Add satellite TV and other competitive service providers to the mix, and the decision and evaluation process becomes much more complex", added Abbazia.

Many associations and their managers negotiate new and renewal agreements on their own, with a final review by association legal counsel. But that scenario is quickly changing. Broadband Agreement Specialists, an independent, unbiased telecommunications consulting firm is now helping associations to preserve their private property easement/access rights, while saving money and securing competitive voice, video and data options for their communities. "Although our representation and negotiation services have traditionally been provided on a contingency-fee basis, a number of associations and property owners have come to us stating that they have already negotiated an agreement on their own, but are uneasy about signing the contract without first having it reviewed by an industry expert. Not just a review by their legal counsel at the end of the process, but also by someone with hands-on experience from inside the cable television and telephone business itself. In response, we have introduced our Agreement Expert Review Program for association and property owners," stated Abbazia.

For a one-time "flat rate" fee, the Agreement Expert Review Program provides clients with a review of their proposed video, Internet and/or telephone service agreement. In addition to the agreement terms and conditions, additional areas of evaluation typically include technology, access rights, termination rights, distribution ownership rights and other important issues that may positively or negatively impact the association and its residents over the contract duration. The agreement financial "deal points", terms and conditions review, with the resulting detail summary analysis document can be completed about a week. With this information, clients then go back on their own and work to complete the negotiation.

"Considering that a typical cable television agreement can have a term length from 5-10 years, it is money well spent to have the proposed contract reviewed by an industry expert", added Abbazia. Nonetheless, Broadband Agreement Specialists advises clients that the comments and analysis provided under the Agreement Expert Review Program are for information purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal advice. In addition, the company also advises that it is important that the association review any and all agreements with qualified legal counsel before they sign them, for an accurate and legally reliable evaluation of rights and obligations. For additional information with regard to the Agreement Expert Review Program, please visit http://www.broadbandagr.com/expertreview

About Broadband Agreement Specialists, Inc.
Broadband Agreement Specialists, Inc. is an independent, unbiased, telecommunications consulting firm dedicated to preserving private property rights, while saving money and securing competitive voice, video and data options for residential communities. With industry expertise derived from over 25 years experience working for premier cable, telephone and cellular telecommunications companies, the company is committed to advising property managers and association boards with regard to today's telecom issues. Based in South Florida, the company provides contingency-based and flat-rate fee consulting services to residential developers, multifamily owners, condominium and homeowner associations. For additional company information, please visit http://www.broadbandagr.com.

The buildings were certified by the NAHB Research Center, a subsidiary of NAHB.

The bronze-level certification was awarded to the first two buildings completed in the Park Run community at McKay’s Mill in Franklin, Tenn. When completed, the development will comprise 23 buildings for a total of 92 condominium homes. The Jones Company, a top-100 single-family builder, also has certified dozens of single-family green homes.

"Green certification has value to all home owners, both single-family and multifamily," said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a builder and developers from Tulsa, Okla. "Growing numbers of today’s home buyers want the benefits of a home that’s built with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind."

The National Green Building Standard is a scoring tool and certification protocol that assures projects have met stringent benchmarks in energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality and lot and site design. In addition, the builder must provide education and a manual for home owners to help ensure the home is operated and maintained to retain its green advantages.

The standard was developed by NAHB and the International Code Council and is the first such system to be approved by the American National Standards Institute. It covers single-family homes, apartments and condos, residential land development and home remodeling projects, and is administered by the NAHB Research Center, which also accredits local verifiers around the country.

"The National Green Building Standard provides a rigorous definition of residential green construction, whether it be for single-family homes or multi-story apartment buildings," said Michael Luzier, president of the NAHB Research Center. "As the first and only existing national green building rating system that can be used for every type of residential project, the standard allows the Research Center to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for builders, remodelers and developers who want third-party validation for their green projects."

It is important for builders to explain to their prospective customers the value of green, according to Peder Jensen, director of the green building program at the Jones Company, who holds a Certified Green Professional educational designation from NAHB. "Home buyers are most interested in the features they can see, of course – the energy-efficient windows, Energy Star-rated appliances and lighting, and low-flow shower heads and faucets."

But Jensen also points out the less obvious features. "They appreciate our emphasis on indoor air quality – the low-VOC carpet and flooring, and a passive radon system. And they appreciate that we check for air leaks with a blower-door test."

The certified condo buildings also took a resource-efficient approach to materials, many of which featured recycled and green content. All unused construction materials were recycled offsite. And the development’s landscaping plan uses native plants and limits water use and runoff.

Photographs are available upon request. The standard scoring tool and details about National Green Building Certification are available at www.nahbgreen.org.

PR Log (Press Release) – Dec 21, 2009 – “We receive a lot of great feedback from our customers” said Kritsch, Neighborino co-founder. “We’re very excited to announce the addition of new features that will help HOA’s run their website more effectively and help residents connect and communicate with each other.”

The most impactful new feature is the addition of forums. Residents can now register for their community website and have access to view and comment on existing topics, or start their own topic of interest within a dedicated forum area. Forums allow neighbors to converse on a variety of subjects, and site administrator’s have the ability to manage the forums and content how they see fit.

Another popular request was the ability to post ‘private stories’ that are for neighbors only and not viewable to the general public. Website administrators can now simply click “Private” when creating a story, and their story will be viewable only to logged in neighbors.

For communities with a variety of documents that need organizing, tagging is now available. Tagging a document groups all similar document types, making it much easier for neighbors to sort and find the document they’re seeking. Website administrators still have control to designate documents as publicly viewable, for residents only, or for board members only.

Lastly, enhancing the photo galleries was accomplished by giving website administrators more control over how the galleries are viewed and participated in. Administrators now have the ability allow or disallow uploads from residents, and can also make the gallery viewable to the public or to neighbors only. They also have the ability to edit photo descriptions and delete photos.

“We’re committed to listening to our customers and improving our software and features on a regular basis” said Kritsch. “Our commitment is to the HOA boards and the communities they serve. Our goal, as a trusted HOA website provider and partner, is to help them better communicate while lessening their workload and the time it takes to manage their website.”

About Neighborino
Founded in 2007, Neighborino is an Indianapolis-based software development firm committed to a fresh approach to homeowner association websites. Developed by three veteran web developers and homeowners association members, Neighborino’s web-based software packs powerful features into an intuitive interface that makes community communication easy to create and manage. Neighborino is a member of the Community Associations Institute. For more information about Neighborino’s web-based software, visit www.neighborino.com.
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Neighborinos provides on-demand web-based software that allows non-technical users to design, edit and publish homeowner association (HOA) and community websites in a fraction of the time and money than traditional web development applications.

"Staying Afloat: Strategies for Helping Your Community in Difficult Economic Times," the series of free, half-day day educational seminars, is designed for board members, property owners and managers of condos, HOAs and other associations struggling to maintain financial stability against a rising tide of delinquent payments and foreclosures.

Focusing on strategies for communities to deal with the economic crisis, the presentations in 14 locations across Florida will address the critical issue of collecting association assessments in today's economy. The presentations will include discussion of the most recently developed methods for improving collections such as collecting rents instead of assessments, appointing receivers for an entire community, and even depositing rent checks with the Court to protect the association's rights.

Other topics include the liability of owners for non-payment of assessments and the impact of mortgagee foreclosures on the association's ability to recover delinquent payments.

Additionally, attorneys with a wide variety of experience in different legal areas will answer questions on issues relating to employment law, covenant enforcement, dealing with local governments and the 2010 Legislative Session outlook, in addition to construction defect claims and related issues.

"Common-ownership residential communities in Florida today are facing unprecedented economic challenges," said Ken Direktor, Becker & Poliakoff attorney who heads the firm's statewide Community Association Law Practice. "Board members, residents and professional managers need to have better information, more business-like operational strategies and improved financial management techniques if their communities are to endure this downturn. These are topics we'll be addressing in this year's annual conference series."

The first conference will be held on January 15 in Ft. Myers with the concluding program on March 27 in Daytona Beach. The programs have been approved for two continuing education credit hours in Insurance and Financial Management for Community Association Managers. Other attendees will receive a Certification of Participation from Becker & Poliakoff.

All events begin at 8:30 AM with registration and breakfast. The presentations begin at 9:00 AM and end at 12:30 PM. There will be an exclusive "Client Only" breakfast at 8:00 AM with Firm Founder Gary Poliakoff (schedule permitting) who will be speaking about and signing his new book, "New Neighborhoods, The Consumer's Guide to Condominium, Co-Op, and HOA Living." Each Becker & Poliakoff client received one complimentary copy of the book by mail and others will be available for sale at the conferences.

Following are dates and locations for each of the 2010 Community Association Leadership Conferences:

Friday, January 15, 2010 - Barbara B. Mann Center, Ft. Myers Friday, January 29, 2010 - Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, St. Petersburg Saturday, January 30, 2010 - Port St. Lucie Civic Center, Port St. Lucie Saturday, February 6, 2010 - Hilton Naples, Naples Saturday, February 6, 2010 - Hawks' Cay Island Resort, Duck Key (Florida Keys) Friday, February 12, 2010 - Emerald Coast Conference Center, Ft. Walton Beach Saturday, February 13, 2010 - Hyatt Sarasota, Sarasota Friday, February 19, 2010 - The Boardwalk Beach Resort, Panama City Beach Friday February 26, 2010 - Hilton Orlando, Altamonte Springs Saturday, March 6, 2010 - Signature Grand, Ft. Lauderdale Friday, March 12, 2010 - Holiday Inn - Viera Conference Center, Melbourne Saturday, March 13 2010 - Kravis Center - Cohen Pavilion, West Palm Beach Saturday March 20, 2010 - Hilton Miami Airport, Miami Saturday March 27, 2010 - Plaza Resort, Daytona Beach

For more information or to register for this FREE educational conference, go to www.becker-poliakoff.com/events/ca/.

About Becker & Poliakoff P.A.

Becker & Poliakoff is a diverse commercial law firm with more than 130 attorneys in 13 Florida offices, New York City, New Jersey, Nassau, Bahamas, Prague and affiliated international offices. Celebrating its thirty sixth (36th) year of serving clients, the firm has seven primary areas of practice: Real Estate, Construction, Community Association, Customs & International Trade, Commercial Litigation, Corporate & Securities, and Government Law & Lobbying. For more information, visit: www.becker-poliakoff.com.

Associa's Eco Recovery Operation (AERO) was established in 2008 to bring together various environmental practices at local branch offices to meet Associa's desire to improve overall environmentally conscious practices company wide. Through AERO, Associa has been able to reduce waste, promote recycling and reuse, cut down on electricity usage, engage in local clean up efforts, promote eco friendly items to clients and purchase recycled or partially recycled office necessities.

Associa has extended to its clients the opportunity to make a positive impact through programs to reduce waste and the association's carbon footprint. Community association clients have the option to utilize electronic tools such as community websites, electronic statements, only payment options, online account look up and other web based tools. Associa also offers electronic newsletters to keep owners up to date on community news while still reducing the amount of paper and energy usage.

Associa is proud of its employees and clients for taking an interest in reducing business and personal environmental impacts. Associa employees and clients have actively worked together to reduce waste and improve efficiencies in order to meet the criteria and approval process for the Green Business Alliance "Greenify" Designation.

About Green Business Alliance

Green Business Alliance is a national firm helping companies "Go Green." They have assumed a leading role in enabling organizations to Greenify their daily business practices. Their proprietary guidelines give specific direction to companies who are looking to implement more environmentally responsible business practices. Upon completion of their Guidelines to Greenify, member organizations receive the "Greenified" seal, placement in the GreenVisibility Directory as well as other recognition premiums. To Greenify not only helps the environment, it also provides a compelling reason for prospective customers to work with a business. The organization is based in Boca Raton, Florida and can be found on the web at www.greenbusinessalliance.com.

About Associa

As one of the first management companies to specialize in common interest communities, Associa is America's leading community association management and developer services company. With more than 100 offices across the nation and growing, Associa is the largest company in the United States devoted exclusively to the management of community associations, representing thousands of communities coast to coast.

Associa's clients receive personal service from the local management staff while taking advantage of the strengths and resources of a national company. Associa's client programs such as insurance, websites and other communication channels help increase efficiencies and reduce association expenses. For more information, please visit www.associaonline.com.

“We appreciate the support of our partners, Keep Pearland Beautiful, Save Our Beach Association and Association Management Inc., (AMI) in our goal to collect the more than 20,000 Christmas trees needed to reconstruct the dunes devastated by Hurricane Ike,” said Brazoria County Parks Department Director Richard Hurd.

Houston-area citizens may drop off their Christmas trees (no artificial or flocked trees, or decorations, please) at AMI-Pearland’s new office, 12234 Shadow Creek Parkway, Building 3 (in the Shadow Creek Development), the Pearland Recycling Center, 5800 Magnolia Street or any county precinct barn (Angleton, Alvin, Brazoria, Clute, Manvel and West Columbia.) The drive will be held December 28 – January 23 at the Recycling Center and barns and December 26 through January 9 at AMI. County precinct crews will transport the trees to the beach.

According to AMI-Pearland Director Alex Taylor, AMI will encourage homeowners in its 26 Pearland area communities to help keep this holiday season “green” by recycling their Christmas trees. Recycling the Christmas trees will not only help keep Pearland “green” but it will also play an important role in saving the sand dunes along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The sand dunes on Brazoria County’s beaches saved a significant amount of property from the sudden surge and battering waves during Hurricane Ike. The dunes helped protect property, roadways, and wetlands, but at a heavy cost — the windblown sand was lost.

“The dunes are coming back due in large part to last year’s Dunes Day efforts, but they still need help,” explained Hurd. “Should Brazoria County land another big storm in 2010, the dunes will need to be in the best condition possible to help protect Brazoria County and its beaches.”

Dunes Day volunteers will meet at Quintana and near Surfside at 9 a.m. on Saturday, 23 January, to position and stake the discarded trees in place to catch windblown sand and rebuild the dune line. Volunteers must bring a hammer and gloves; the County will provide stakes and twine. Trees also may be dropped off at Quintana Beach County Park or with the City of Surfside, according to the Save Our Beach Association. Some area cities are collecting trees as well – contact your city hall for information.

For more information, contact Rich Tillman at (979) 864-1558 ext 112 or James Glover at (979) 864-1541 ext 3. For information about the AMI drop-off, call (713) 332-4675.

Houston-based Association Management, Inc. (AMI), the only professional management company for homeowners associations to have an office in Pearland, is the Houston area’s oldest and largest privately owned company offering a full range of professional management services to a wide variety of communities. One of the first Accredited Association Management Companies (AAMC) in the nation, AMI was acknowledged by The Community Associations Institute (CAI) as an outstanding professional community association management company based on its experience, professionalism, and continuing education. The company currently has a corporate office in Houston, as well as regional offices in Kingwood, The Woodlands and Austin.

Association Management Inc. (AMI) will encourage homeowners in its 26 Pearland area communities to help keep this holiday season “green” by recycling their Christmas trees. Recycling the Christmas trees will not only help keep Pearland “green” but it will also play an important role in saving the sand dunes along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Website: http://www.amitx.com

HydroPoint will co-present the webcast Serrano Homeowners’ Association and Total Irrigation Management Solutions on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 2 pm ET/11 am PT.

This 30-minute webcast will outline how the Serrano HOA communities of El Dorado Hills and Folsom, California partnered with HydroPoint and Total Irrigation Management Solutions to install 300 WeatherTRAK smart landscape irrigation controllers. Today, the controllers reduce water bills by an average of 25 percent. Serrano homeowners report their enthusiasm for paying less for improved landscape appearance and the time savings they achieve through precisely automated irrigation. Serrano HOA management provides these benefits to homeowners without depleting association reserves.

“At Serrano, we make carefully considered choices when maintaining our communities to ensure that quality of life is enhanced for our homeowners,” said David Sanders, maintenance manager, Serrano Homeowners’ Association. Mr. Sanders continued, “Faced with the need to dramatically curtail water usage, we required a proven solution. That’s why we chose WeatherTRAK.”

HydroPoint’s WeatherTRAK solution provides customers with a simple approach to smart irrigation, eliminating the expensive and wasteful practice of landscape over-watering. The WeatherTRAK controller creates a custom irrigation schedule for each landscape, based on plant type, soil type, sun exposure and slope. Irrigation adjustments are dynamically triggered as the controller receives daily local weather data via the WeatherTRAK ET Everywhere™ service. The HydroPoint Customer Service organization proactively works with landscape professionals and customers to ensure that they receive optimal performance from their WeatherTRAK solutions.

“HydroPoint is pleased to partner with Total Irrigation Management Solutions and other landscape and irrigation companies that bring money-saving Smart Water Management solutions to their customers,” said Sharon Thompson, vice president of marketing for HydroPoint. Ms. Thompson added, “Together we’re demonstrating that water efficiency is the key to beautiful, sustainable landscapes.”

To register for this webcast featuring Serrano HOA and Total Irrigation Management Solutions or to learn about other HydroPoint webcasts, visit: HydroPoint.com/webcasts

About HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
HydroPoint, founded in 2002, is the market and technology leader in Smart Water Management. The company’s WeatherTRAK solution uniquely delivers a multitude of financial and environmental benefits by revolutionizing management of the area of greatest waste in urban water use: landscape irrigation. Proven in 23 independent studies, including the vanguard pollution runoff study led by the EPA, the WeatherTRAK solution saves water, reduces energy demand and protects water quality while it minimizes liability and expense exposure. In 2009 alone, WeatherTRAK subscribers will save 11.3 billion gallons of water, 45 million kilowatt hours and 60 million pounds of CO2. With water rates ranging from $2 to $6 per 1000 gallons and additional related expenses due to overwatering damages ranging from $500 to $10,000 per site, WeatherTRAK has been identified as the green initiative with the fastest payback by leading companies across the country. Headquartered in Petaluma, Calif., HydroPoint is privately owned and operated. For more information, visit www.hydropoint.com.

WeatherTRAK is a registered trademark of HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.