Condo Media - August 2017 - 30

It Takes a Village
Community building starts with
communication, says Jared McNabb,
CMCA, PCAM, general manager at the
Brook House in Brookline, MA. "The
communication has to be continuous, it
has to be effective," and, he emphasizes,
"it has to be a two-way street." It is as
important for the board to know what
residents are thinking, McNabb says,
as it is for residents to know what the
board is doing. "Boards have to be
open to feedback from owners. That's
a very important component [of the
community-building effort]."
He suggests, among other steps,
inviting owners to attend open board
meetings, setting aside a regular, limited
time for them to speak during those sessions, and, equally important, creating
informal opportunities for owners to
"sit down, relax," share their ideas, and
express their concerns.
McNabb advises boards take advantage of all the communications tools
available to them-newsletters, bulletin
boards, e-mail, and especially websites.
Websites, he says, "are an inexpensive
and effective way to communicate with

owners." In his view, any condominium
community operating without an online
presence "is making a big mistake."
Helen Tallett, president of the board
at Bishop's Forest Two, says one of the
first things she did after being elected to
the board was to create a website for the
community and start a regular newsletter, which the board produces "as often
as possible."
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
Community building is particularly
difficult at this small Waltham, MA,
community because of its configuration. The 81 town home units are widely
scattered, clustered in three different
areas. With no central meeting place
("A clubhouse would be a godsend," Tallett says), "it's hard for owners to connect with each other," a barrier she tries
to overcome by connecting personally
with owners.
"I've gotten to know a lot of people
just by walking around the community
and talking to them, and they've gotten
to know me. Maybe this creates at least
some connection to the community."
The board sends a welcome letter to
new owners, providing contact information for board members and noting the
association's web address, and Tallett
says she also "tries to knock on doors"
and greet newcomers personally.
Some communities establish formal
welcome committees to greet new owners; others ask their manager to perform
that function. Most recognize that these
early days, when owners are getting
settled in their new homes, represent

the best opportunity for engaging them,
informing them about the community
(and its rules), and perhaps even interesting them in attending meetings or
volunteering for committees.
Many boards are just as happy if
owners don't attend their meetings (and
some actively discourage attendance),
but McNabb thinks they miss one of
the most effective means of connecting
with owners and educating them about
the community and about the board's
decision-making process. Hearing
board members discuss concerns and
identify priorities, allows owners "to see
first-hand how decisions are made-and
how difficult some of those decisions
are," McNabb says. Perhaps most
important, he notes, open meetings
"build trust" with owners, "and they are
a great way to encourage more positive
involvement in the community."
GETTING TOGETHER
While board meetings can do much to
educate owners, social events are more
likely to attract them, and the opportunity to meet and mingle with each other
and with board members can do much
to build and sustain community spirit.
Pilgrim Village, a 75-unit community
in Taunton, MA, got an enthusiastic
response to a bus trip to Provincetown
the board organized several years ago.
The first year, "the bus was completely
filled," Victor Dematos, president of the
association's board, recalls. "We had
a great time on the trip going down-
there was a lot of singing and storytelling." The return trip, after several

"It is as important for the board to know what
residents are thinking as it is for residents to
know what the board is doing. Boards have to
be open to feedback from owners. That's a very
important component [of the communitybuilding effort]."
-Jared McNabb, CMCA, PCAM, General Manager, Brook House

30

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Condo Media - August 2017

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