Ad Hoc Committees are a key part of the HOA’s decision making process, and integral to a functioning Board of Directors when used appropriately and steered in a productive direction that benefits the total membership.
1
IT’S CALLED INVESTING,
Tree of the most common, negative thinking comments heard at Board meetings are:
1. All Ideas Need to be Considered No idea is a bad idea even if it may include a large initial investment. If some- thing is not working efficiently, at some point the HOA must take charge and fix it. For example, HOA’s with shared central water systems need to start look- ing at sub-metering their water usage. Yes, it can be a large expense but water costs in California will never go down and not measuring water on a unit level does not make sense long term for HOA communities no matter the size.
2 2. Be Creative
Te best ideas are the ones that combine financial and practical engineering. HVAC and lighting are usually the highest costs in condominiums. What type of lighting are you using? If your building still has incandescent, fluorescent or compact fluorescent, a conversion to LED can create substantial savings with a quick return on investment (ROI). Tere may even be government rebates available to offset conversion costs.
Tighter management of your HVAC system to optimize consumption can create substantial savings while still managing residential comfort levels.
Working with an Energy Broker to identify a better plan could also save you money.
Creating a new revenue stream for your HOA can generate funds to offset high energy costs. What is your HOA lacking? For example, is your HOA lacking guest parking? Are there any parking stalls that could be leased or rented by the HOA to accommodate guests and generate income for the association? If you manage a community with an independent parking structure or if you’re con- sidering building one, could you integrate solar panels to offset common area electrical costs and provide shade the same time?
3 3. Get Free Money (Rebates)
PG&E and SMUD offer some of the most lucrative multi-family rebate op- portunities in California. Here are some links that need to be researched and explored right away by your newly founded energy committee.
o BAYREN:
https://bayareamultifamily.org/ o TRC:
https://multifamilyupgrade.com/
o SMUD:
..https://
www.smud.org/en/Business-Solutions-and-Rebates/Business-Re- bates/Multi-Family-Housing-Rebates/Multi-Family-Custom
1 4 4. Incorporate Energy Saving Measures into Existing Projects
Te best time to tackle larger scale energy efficiency scopes of work are when there is a significant “Capital Improvement Event” taking place. For example, if you are taking on an interior painting project, it might be a great time to in- stall that new LED lighting. If you are planning a roofing project, it may be the best time to install stanchions and pre-wire your buildings for solar. Similarly, if you’re replacing your boilers in a condominium, it’s smart to consider solar heating options during your planning stages.
THERESA OSTRANDER is Di- rector of Client Relations at CM Squared, Inc. With over 20 years’ ex- perience in community association
management, municipal government and special dis- tricts, Teresa’s diverse expertise includes budgeting, management analysis, community maintenance, op- erations, legislation, organizational management and team building. Teresa has a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University and has completed master’s degree course work in therapeutic recreation at Uni- versity of North Texas, and public administration at Southern Methodist University. As a proud parent of two golden retrievers, Doogie and Dexter, you can frequently find her outdoors with the two “boys.” She also enjoys spending time with friends and family.
RICKY CHU is Construction
Manager at CM Squared, Inc. Hav- ing recently joined CM Squared, Inc. as project manager earlier this
year, Ricky focuses on working with communities that are interested in improving their operational efficien- cies. Prior to joining CM Squared, Inc., Ricky was a partner at Rayco, where he led the solar, LED lighting, and EV charging division. Born and raised in San Jose, Ricky graduated from UC Davis and Piedmont Hills High. When not working, you can find Ricky enjoying all there is to do outdoors in the warm California sun.
9 “We have no money”
“Te HOA has too many other is- sues to deal with”
“Tis is too complicated – we don’t even know where to begin!”
Tis is precisely where a committee can assist the Board. Doing nothing solves nothing.
Tink of energy efficiency upgrades as a remodel for your HOA. When your kitchen becomes outdated, you remodel it because it brings additional value for your home. Your Energy Committee can find new ways to upgrade the HOA and increase value to the community.
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