Mr. Slaughter taught us about the order of business, writing minutes, handling motions and planning effective meetings. Managers and board members found his tips very helpful and plan to implement some time saving strategies. Who doesn’t want to save time at board and homeowner meetings? Tasty refreshments and a breath taking view from the 8th floor of The VUE Charlotte were other perks to the evening in addition to Mr. Slaughter’s playful personality.

Thank you for all who attended and we hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did. If you’d like to attend a future seminar, please leave a comment below. We plan to host an event on a different association-related topic every couple of months. If you’d like to learn more about parliamentary procedure, visit Mr. Slaughter’s site at www.jimslaughter.com. 

In the Kitchen 

Large appliances—washing machines and dishwashers—consume the most water, so they are important places to start any water-conservation efforts. Set the water level on your washing machine to match the size of your load. Try to avoid doing frequent small loads; whenever possible, run the machine only when you have a full load.

Ÿ Like the washing machine, only run the dishwasher when it’s full. If you have only a few dishes, wash them by hand in a sink or basin—not under a running faucet. Use a second basin or dishpan for rinsing, or spray rinse all the soapy dishes at once.

Splish-Splash—Conserving in the Bath

After these major appliances, the bathroom offers the next biggest opportunity to save water. Make sure your toilets are all working efficiently.Ÿ Keep your showers as brief as possible or turn the water off while shaving or scrubbing in the stall. Consider installing water-saver shower heads and faucets. When taking a bath, close the drain while the water warms up then adjust the temperature. Monitor the tub as it fills, and turn the water off at the half-way mark.

Running Hot and Cold

Ÿ  There’s nothing as refreshing as a cold drink of water, but don’t let the faucet run to get it. Chill a container of water in the refrigerator instead. Avoid running hot tap water over frozen food to defrost it; put it in the refrigerator the night before. Rethink any tasks you usually perform under running water—like washing vegetables or brushing your teeth. (A gallon of water a minute flows through a tap that’s only half open.). Use a dishpan or bowl of water instead of letting the tap run. Then pour the water from the bowl on your house plants.

“Used” Water

Before pouring that half-filled glass of water down the sink, ask yourself where it could be put to good use? How about pouring it in the dog’s bowl?  And the condensate from the dehumidifier is suitable for watering plants. Other sources of “used” water are suitable for reuse—it just takes a little imagination and a change in routine.

Water conservation begins with each of us. If each resident makes a few simple adjustments in household routine, the association can conserve thousands of gallons of water and save thousands of dollars each year.

Decorations: Decking the halls with seasonal ornaments is a great way to bring the holiday spirit home. Many love to spread the joy by decorating, but before you scurry up that ladder to hang the decorative lights along the side of your roof, take a quick peek to find out the guidelines for outdoor decorations. This will help make sure your outdoor winter wonderland isn’t an association violation. If you live in a condominium be sure you clean up behind you when your decorations arrive and unplug lights when away or asleep.

Parties: We hope you all have plenty of chances to eat, drink and be merry this holiday season. If you plan on hosting a get-together or party, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. First, keep the revelry and noise to a minimum, and wind the party down at a reasonable time—you don’t want your celebrating to interfere with your neighbors’ attempts to get visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. Find out what the association deems acceptable noise levels and what the quiet hours are, as well as guidelines for hosting parties.

Parking: The holidays bring many people together, and that means extra cars will need to be parked. It wouldn’t be the holidays without Uncle Marv and Aunt Ethel bunking in little Jimmy’s room. To make sure your guests are covered, look at the CC&Rs to find out the rules on visitor parking in the association, including where they can park and what kind of parking passes they may need.

Following the association’s rules and regulations helps ensure that all of our residents can enjoy this special time of year, so please help us by doing your part. Stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.

Duvall CAMS is proud to announce we are growing! And with that, comes a blog. We will be posting company updates and community association-related articles. Hopefully everyone will find this useful and informative. Feel free to comment if there is a topic you’d like to learn about! In the meantime, we hope our readers all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Duvall CAMS Management