Community Matters

Work-Life: Finding the Dividing Line

The latest episode of Community Matters podcast takes off in a very different direction that previous episodes. In this interview, we chat with Ryan Fleming, Director of the Habitational Group with JGS Insurance, about ways to find that critical balance between work and life. How do you find the dividing line? How do you deal with different personalities and establish a mindset for work vs. life? We'll chat about these questions and more in this episode.

JGS Insurance is a 100 year old independent insurance agency located in Holmdel, NJ, serving multiple industries including community associations. You can find them online at www.jgsinsurance.com.

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Managing the Impact of Short Term Rentals in Community Associations

With the advent of sites like AirBnB, VRBO and others, short terms rentals have exploded, and a new industry has been spawned. The impact of short term rentals are far reaching for condominiums and homeowner associations. We'll explore these impacts and how community associations can manage them in this episode of Community Matters podcast.

Today's guest is Scott Reidenbach, Esq., founding principal of Reidenbach & Associates, a law firm based in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Scott and his firm concentrate in the areas of Condominium and Community Association Law, Construction Litigation, Real Estate and related areas. Contact Scott through his website at www.reidenbachlaw.com.

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The Effective Management of Lakes and Ponds Without Chemicals

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast, where we discuss issues important to managing and governing condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.

The topic for this episode is lake and pond management – we’ll be talking about techniques to manage your communities lakes and ponds. We’ll touch on why aeration is important for your lakes and ponds, controlling harmful algal blooms, weed management and erosion control.

My guest today is John Phelps, an Environmental Scientist with SOLitude Lake Management. John has over a decade of experience in water and land management throughout the Delaware, Pennsylvania and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic. John has worked on major land-development projects, conducted threatened and endangered species surveys, and played an integral role in efforts to reduce nutrient loading and manage harmful algal blooms in community lakes and ponds in a sustainable manner. For more information on SOLitude Lake Management, please visit their website.

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Detecting & Preventing Water Infiltration

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast, where we discuss issues important to managing and governing condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.

Our guest in this episode is John M. Hershey, AIA, a LEED Accredited Professional, Licensed Architect, Reserve Specialist, and President of J. Hershey Building Consultants, a consulting, design and construction management firm with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Orlando. He has consulted with clients throughout the United States and has been the project lead on countless design and construction projects. We’ll be talking about the damaging effects of water infiltration and how you can detect and prevent this costly problem in homes and buildings in your condo, cooperative or planned community. For more information on J. Hershey Building Consultants, please visit their website.

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Avoiding Association Liability

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast, where we discuss issues important to managing and governing condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.

In this episode of Community Matters we’ll be discussing the many areas where community associations can be exposed to liability, and how associations can avoid these claims. My guest today is Edward Hoffman, Jr., a Partner and Co-Founder of Barrow|Hoffman, a Community Association Law and Litigation firm with offices in Warminster and Allentown, PA. Mr. Hoffman regularly represents and counsels homeowners associations, condominiums and planned communities on full range of issues including litigation, governing document drafting, amendments and revisions, transition issues, covenant enforcement, assessment violations and collections. He is a member of CAI’s Pennsylvania Legislative Action Committee. For more information on Barrow | Hoffman, please visit their website.

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Painless Payments are Possible!

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast, where we discuss issues important to managing and governing condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.

In this episode of Community Matters we’ll be discussing payment processing. Every community association receives payments – for monthly assessments, fees, or other payments. Modern technology has greatly expanded payment options available to community associations. My guest today is Nicole Skaro, Vice President and Association Financial Partner with Alliance Association Bank. Nicole covers the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has a strong understanding of the Community Association Industry and the specific needs of management companies, individual managers, and community associations. Nicole is also a member of the board of directors of the CAI Pennsylvania & Delaware Valley Chapter. For more information on Alliance Association Bank, visit their website.

Community Matters is now available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

Planning & Budgeting for Deferred Maintenance

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast, where we discuss issues important to managing and governing condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.

In this episode of Community Matters we’ll be discussing why deferred maintenance is important to a community association and why it should be included in the association budget. My guest for this episode is Brandon Femia, RS, with Kipcon, Incorporated, an engineering consulting firm that specializes in community associations. Brandon performs reserve studies, transition studies, deferred maintenance schedules, cost estimates, operating manuals and physical and financial assessments for community associatoins. Brandon holds CAI's Reserve Specialist designation. For more information on Kipcon, please visit www.kipcon.com.

Community Matters is now available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

What's New in CAI's National Reserve Study Standards?

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast, where we discuss issues important to managing and governing condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.

In this episode of Community Matters we’ll be discussing Reserve Studies – specifically, updates that were adopted in 2017 to CAI’s national Reserve Study Standards. My guest for this episode is Mitch Frumkin, president and founder of Kipcon, Incorporated, an engineering consulting firm that specializes in community associations. A Licensed Professional Engineer in eighteen states, Mitch holds CAI Reserve Specialist designation. He is also a past president of Community Associations Institute and the Pennsylvania & Delaware Valley Chapter. For more information on Kipcon, please vist www.kipcon.com.

Community Matters is now available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

Legislative Report with State Rep. Rosemary Brown

On May 7, 2018, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 595 into law. Now known as Act 17 of 2018, the legislation assigns the investigation and mediation of certain complaints regarding Pennsylvania planned communities, cooperatives, and condominiums to the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. The legislation also recognizes the importance of dispute resolution procedures within each community association. CAI worked closely with the Bill’s prime sponsor, State Representative Rosemary Brown, whose 189th legislative district in Monroe and Pike Counties in the Poconos region, includes a very high concentration of community associations. Representative Brown is my guest today in this podcast where we’ll discuss the reasons behind the Bill and what she hopes to accomplish with the legislation.

Community Matters is now available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

Workplace Laws & Community Associations

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast, where we discuss issues important to managing and governing condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.

CAI members – including management companies and community associations that are employers - are subject to numerous state and federal laws that govern the workplace. Compliance with these employment laws is critical to avoiding litigation. We'll be reviwing these laws in this episode with Philip Voluck, owner of the national law firm Kaufman Dolowich and Voluck. For the last 40 years, Phil has represented employers, including community associations, who have been faced with claims of discrimination or wrongful termination by former employees, rejected applicants, and other parties. For more information on the firm, please visit their website.

Community Matters is now available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.