Active Adult Communities Offer Special Opportunities
The explosion in growth of the senior population is one of the most important demographic developments of the 21st century. Two-thirds of the people who have lived past the age of 65 are alive today. In the U.S. alone, people 65 and older number 35 million. That number should double by 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Census. Moreover, the senior population as a whole is staying healthy longer. As a result, active adult communities for those 55 and older are becoming increasingly common.

These communities also are proving popular for many association managers. Indeed, there is much to like about active adult communities from a manager's viewpoint.

Active adult communities tend to have an abundance of active resident volunteers for various committees, sometimes almost feeling like an ancillary staff. In many cases, these volunteers have gained a wealth of useful wisdom before retiring.

It is not uncommon in active adult communities to find libraries with entire shelves of books written by residents, or walls attractively decorated with top-quality art they created. Their live-music programs may rival those of area nightclubs.

You can also generally count on excellent attendance at annual meetings and at community events. Furthermore, there often is a strong sense of community and camaraderie at active adult communities. The residents also tend to appreciate the facilities.

"They want the amenities—and they use them frequently," said Nancy J. Davis, PCAM, an onsite manager of K. Hovnanian's (KHOV) Four Seasons at Hemet, a limited-access community in Riverside County, Calif. Among the honors the community has received is the 2005 National Association of Home Builders Best of Senior Housing Design and Marketing Awards (Active Adult Community-Very Large). K. Hovnanian also offers the Four Seasons lifestyle in eleven other states.

Often, active adult communities feel like resorts. At KHOV Fours Seasons at Hemet, about 1,100 single-level homes—ranging in size from 1,444 to 2,775 square feet of living space with lots averaging 4,500 square feet—line the Hemet Golf Club in four neighborhoods. The Lodge, a 25,000 square-foot, resort-caliber amenity center, features a ballroom seating about 400 people, a small movie theatre, a beauty salon, a bistro, library, a computer center with 12 computers, a three-table billiards room, a card room, and an arts-and-crafts room. The Lodge is located on about 10 acres of outdoor space, offering such recreational amenities as a swimming pool and spa, tennis courts, paddle tennis courts, horseshoe pits, bocce ball courts, and shuffleboard courts.

Since becoming involved with association management in 1975, Davis has dedicated about 75 percent of her career to onsite management of large-scale communities. About half of that time has been at age-qualified communities, she estimated.

She has learned that managers at active adult communities should count on more one-on-one interaction with property owners than managers in multi-age communities. "They come to the office to share their concerns," she said. "Some of them are lonely and just want to talk."

Consequently, keeping a "to-do" list can be an exercise in futility. "It's not unusual for a board member to stop by unexpectedly to chat 20 or 30 minutes," she said. "That can be enjoyable, but this is definitely not your traditional 40-hour work week."

In addition to the pleasant conversations, of course, managers at active adult communities field complaints about violations of architectural codes, landscaping and other areas of concern inherent in community associations everywhere. Managers at age-restricted communities also have the time-consuming responsibility of ensuring residents meet age requirements.

Some residents do not hesitate to alert Davis to suspicions that residents are skirting the requirements that at least one resident must be at least 55 and the other at least 45. "You can have underage visitors for up to 45 days a year," she said. "Sometimes there are violations, but other times, there's just a perception by neighbors that guests have been there longer than they should be."

Managers cannot afford to rely solely on residents to police the age-restriction requirements because the stakes are too high. "There are many more federal provisions than you have in a normal community," she said. "Homeowners need to verify their age with a birth certificate or driver's license. Every two years, the association needs to verify that at least 80 percent of the community meets the age qualifications. Otherwise, the entire community can lose its senior status."

As age-restricted communities have evolved, the reporting criteria have become more intensive and complex, according to Davis. "Common sense used to apply a lot more than it does today," she said.

Her own career has been guided largely by common sense and experience gained on the job. "I can tell you the psychology courses I took have served me well," she said, chuckling. "Today, the Community Associations Institute and colleges are offering more training for working with older adults. Having that kind of information is beneficial, but I think you can become specialized in active-adult communities by doing the work. Of course, you still need the overall knowledge of managing a community onsite."

She also pointed out that the decision to live in an age-restricted community is a "lifestyle choice that should be made with great thought." She has learned that, although these communities may be the perfect choice for some people, others will always prefer living in a community with people of all ages.

Good Question: Should Open Meetings Bother Boards?
By Barbara Saxton, CMCA, AMS, PCAM

Q. Our board of directors has contemplated opening up its board meetings to homeowners, but several board members are feeling threatened by this possibility. Do you think they have good reason to be concerned?

A. There’s no doubt that we are living in the “information age”. Every day we are bombarded with information from the newspapers, television, radio, the Internet. When information is deliberately withheld, we are suspicious. A closed-door meeting is almost an affront to our sensibilities. 

Local governments realized this a long time ago. So came to be born Sunshine Laws, which permit residents of municipalities to attend Council meetings (and other municipal meetings such as Zoning Board) as observers. All votes are taken in open session, so those present can see who voted and how. Sometimes the floor is opened to questions and comments from the public, sometimes it is not. Even Congressional and Senate sessions are televised for public consumption.

Several states have recognized that community associations function in many respects like a municipality, and they have adopted their own Sunshine Law for associations. New Jersey and Florida are two. The law is similar in many respects to those that apply to governmental bodies.

All board meetings must be made public, with the dates and times posted. Homeowners may attend as observers. The board may or may not set aside a period to recognize those present in order for them to ask questions or make comments. All votes of the board are taken in open session. 

Like governmental Sunshine Laws, the ones that apply to associations also allow the board to go into executive session to discuss matters regarding personnel, contract negotiations, or other issues (generally assessment-collection related) that could be construed as an invasion of privacy if discussed publicly. A Sunshine Law does not allow for votes taken in private, over the phone or by e-mail, and emergency sessions still require notice to the homeowners in whatever way is practical. 

When New Jersey first adopted the Open Meetings Act, there was a general panic among board members. Meetings would go on forever. Homeowners would grandstand and monopolize the agenda. Board members would be reluctant to express themselves freely, and would feel awkward to be under “public scrutiny." True opinions would be squelched for fear of being unpopular. 

While some of this may have come to fruition, it certainly didn’t last. Homeowners, excited at last to be allowed into the “inner sanctum” of the secret society of board meetings, soon found out that there was nothing sexy about them. In fact, for the most part, they were downright boring. And the crowds began to dwindle.

If the Sunshine Law comes to your neck of the woods, don’t run screaming from it. Embrace it warmly, and act truly disappointed if each and every one of your homeowners doesn’t attend every meeting. Post your meetings for the year on your Web site, in your clubhouse, or in your newsletter. Set aside some time at the beginning of the meeting to hear comments from those in attendance. Allow some time at the end for questions (I guarantee most of them won’t be around for this). Then go on with business as usual (no more comments or questions from the peanut gallery). It’s a nice touch to have copies of the agenda available, but not mandatory.

For a few months, expect a small crowd. Once homeowners realize there is nothing mysterious, illegal, immoral, or otherwise fun going on at the meetings, they will generally stop attending.  You may have one or two diehards who religiously attend and stay to the bitter end, but they will be few and far between. You will soon find that there are very few “true” emergencies for which you need to have a meeting.   

While you do not have to serve refreshments, and you certainly don’t invite those attending to sit at the board table, you do need to have a place to meet that will accommodate those homeowners who wish to attend. This can be problematic for those associations that do not have a community room or clubhouse or other meeting facility, and whose Board members generally meet in each other’s homes. One small Association solved this by asking homeowners to inform the manager in advance of their intention to attend, so additional seating could be provided.

Others found inexpensive (or free!) meeting rooms at local Township buildings or libraries, and discovered that their meetings actually were now more efficient than when they were held in the comfort of a member’s living room. There’s something about sitting in a La-Z-Boy munching on Cheetos that lends itself to longer, more leisurely meetings, and sometimes less-than-professional demeanors. And since most of these locales require you to vacate the premises by a set time, there is more motivation to move through the agenda expeditiously. 

Here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there are currently two bills, one before the Senate and another before the House, that would make the Sunshine Law mandatory for associations. It is fairly certain that one or the other, in some form, will see its way into law. Boards can begin now to get accustomed to having homeowners observe their meetings.

I have one board that routinely sets aside the first fifteen minutes of meetings for homeowner concerns. They do meet in a member’s home, but since we have never had more than two or three “guests” at one time, that has not been a problem. After the homeowners are heard, they are thanked for their attendance, shown the door, and the board continues with its agenda. 

Another board has an open meeting first, going through the agenda fairly rapidly, and allowing questions from the homeowners afterward. The board then goes into executive session, and that’s where the real business happens. While neither of these scenarios will be permitted if and when a Sunshine Law is enacted, both of these boards have at least become accustomed to having homeowners attend their meetings and giving them an opportunity to be heard. It won’t be a far stretch for them to allow this to expand to the entire meeting. 

Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Barbara Saxton is a regional manager with The Galman Group Inc., in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. If you have a good question about community association management, she might have the answer. Send questions c/o Terry White. [ return to top ]

Creating Efficiency: Consider the FISH! Philosphy

On a visit to the Seattle Pike Place Fish Market several years ago, John Christensen was astounded at how happy the employees were in their work. Although they seemingly had plenty of reasons to dislike their less-than-glamorous jobs, they created a real-life fairy-tale work environment of enthusiasm, satisfied customers and profitability.

They flung fish to each other to fill orders, eliciting laughter and compliments from customers and passersby—or commiseration when they missed. Often, employees would invite their customers to join the fun. Christensen teamed with Stephen Lundin and Harry Paul to write FISH!, a book that captured the philosophy behind the Fish Market's success.

Embracing the FISH! Philosophy may help your office become more efficient, productive – and enjoyable. The FISH! Philosophy consists of four concepts which, when embraced by managers, can spawn a whole new way of thinking about the workplace:

• Play—Many managers worry that play interferes with work. However, when you inject playfulness into your work, people around you become more upbeat and lighthearted, including your colleagues and property owners. You enjoy your work more, increasing productivity and personal fulfillment on the job.
• Make their day—People love to be delighted. What is the small step that you can take that will fill your property owners with a deep appreciation for your service? Or maybe someone on your staff needs extra help. Take a few minutes to lend a hand and see what a difference it can make.
• Be there—You've probably found yourself answering the phone, writing an e-mail and eating lunch – all while trying to have a conversation with a real person standing by your desk. Being there means that you take the time to make wholehearted connections—with your work, your colleagues and your property owners. Instead of making interactions with people another thing on your "to-do" list, try giving people your full attention when they are with you, honoring them as the human souls they are.
• Choose your attitude—Much of what happens in life is determined by our attitudes. Your mother said it, your teachers said it and FISH! says it, too. Working in a fish market could be a drag, yet the fishmongers all have the ability to determine how they approach their work. By choosing a positive attitude, you empower yourself to enjoy your position, even if it's not your dream job.

OSHA Offers Tips for Working in Hot Weather

As temperatures begin to climb, community associations need to be concerned about special hazards confronting their employees and contractors who work outdoors. To promote safety throughout the summer months, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers tips that can help prevent heat-related deaths, illnesses, and injuries.

The combination of heat, humidity and physical labor can lead to fatalities. The two most serious forms of heat related illnesses are heat exhaustion (primarily from dehydration) and heat stroke, which could be fatal. Signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke need immediate attention. Recognizing those warning signs and taking quick action can make a difference in preventing a fatality.

Working Outdoors is a fact sheet that offers advice on ways to protect against exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV), precautions to take if working in extreme heat, and how to protect against Lyme Disease and the West Nile Virus. The fact sheet also offers information links for teenagers working at summer jobs.

The Heat Stress Card lists tips for preventing many heat-related deaths and injuries. Available in English and Spanish, this laminated fold-up card is free to employers to distribute to their workers. It offers a quick reference about heat-related injuries, including warning signs, symptoms and early treatment.

Protecting Yourself Against Harmful Sunlight is a pocket card that explains how to perform self-examinations to detect early stages of skin cancer. The card, available in English and Spanish, also describes common physical features of skin cancer that can be caused by exposure to the sun.

The publications can be downloaded from OSHA's Web site on the publications page or can be ordered by calling OSHA's publications office at (202) 693-1888.

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NBC-CAM News

CMCA Program Continues To Grow: More than 7,000 Credentialed

March 2007 was a banner month for the National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers (NBC-CAM). In addition to awarding its 7,000th credential, NBC-CAM succeeded in having military veterans reimbursed for the cost of its certification exam.

CMCA Program Reimbursable under the GI Bill

Congress approved changes to the GI Bill in 2001 allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse eligible veterans for the cost of taking approved certification and licensure examinations. Acting on a request by NBC-CAM, the VA accepted the CMCA program as an approved certification program as of March 15.

GI-eligible veterans can be reimbursed for either the paper and pencil or computer-based exams—and reimbursement is provided whether they pass or fail the exam. The career-enhancing CMCA certification signifies that a manager has passed NBC-CAM's National Certification Examination and met the requirements for managing homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives.

"This is great news for veterans who may be interested in pursuing careers in the community association business," said NBC-CAM Deputy Executive Director Ann-Marie Johnson. "We hope this opportunity will prompt even more veterans to explore the benefits of this growing profession. We know that many veterans possess the skills and abilities sought by community associations and management companies."

To learn more about this reimbursement opportunity, visit the GI Bill Web site or write NBC-CAM's Ann-Marie Johnson at amjohnson@caionline.org.

Board Certified:

Congratulations to Our Newest CMCAs

Over the past several months, NBC-CAM recognized professionals who completed the requirements to become Certified Managers of Community Associations. The CMCA credential demonstrates that these managers have passed NBC-CAM’s national exam and met requirements for managing condominium, cooperative, and homeowner associations. [ return to top ]