Article
Courtesy of The Boca Raton News
Published
November 24, 2009
When
is the last time you heard something positive about a Condo or Homeowners
Association? Many have referred to the members as “condo commandos” or
recited horror stories of board members fleecing HOA accounts and taking off to
Mexico. But one community in West Boca Raton is looking to change those negative
connotations to ones more positive -- like community, township and neighborhood,
according to Boca Barwood Board Secretary Dina Diana-Rizo.
“It’s a better place to live when all people are kept in touch with what is
going on, rather than a relying on a select few or rumor," said Diana-Rizo,
adding:
"We give our residents ample avenues to information- from closed circuit
TV, to telephone lists, email addresses and the website-all so they can feel
secure knowing how their community is maintained and managed.” Best of all,
Rizo feels residents are more likely to participate in volunteering to serve on
the board or committee when the environment Is open and positive."
The Village of Boca Barwood is working hard to foster a sense of community in
their small 209 unit HOA, she said. Once a development where board meetings were
inconsistent, communication was scarce and disharmony was felt among residents,
the HOA now has an open-door policy of communication, regular board meetings and
an atmosphere where residents are invited to offer feedback and suggestions.
Board President Stacy Volnick, says: “I maintain the belief that we can build
a neighborhood where community is not only fostered, but where it thrives.
Building community spirit is more than informing residents about board actions
and business matters. It is about asking them what their opinions are and
developing programming that they will enjoy and will spark further community
involvement.”
Residents can see the changes, said Diana-Rizo. In just seven short months, the
new board changed their property management company for more streamlined service
and proper record keeping, assigned a new landscape company that cleaned up and
brought back poorly maintained lawns and hedges and implemented an online HOA
website to keep residents connected and informed of latest news. Old projects
once never completed are now getting done, like painting and price shopping for
cheaper insurance, as well as cable TV to replace their outdated bulk satellite
contract.
At first, people were slow to show interest, said Diana-Rizo. But after several
outreach programs, free community rummage sales (where the non-sold items were
donated to AVDA) and a call for volunteers, people are starting to feel a change
in the atmosphere. Volnick adds, “The community associations of today are
neighborhoods of yesterday. Spirited communities and safe neighborhoods have
higher sale values. Community spirit creates an emotional equity that sets
communities apart from the rest.”
Adding to that sense of spirit, the Village is hosting it’s first ever
Community Health & Wellness Fair, in conjunction with a blood drive with
Community Blood Centers of South Florida this Saturday, Sept 12th. “We wanted
to do something nice for our residents at no cost to them”, says Rizo, who
helped organize the event. Free blood pressure and glucose screenings will be
offered as well as discounted flu shots. Local participants include Humana,
Comfort Keepers, Walgreens, Planned Parenthood, Comprehensive AIDS Program of PB
County, Teen Time, TLC Colon & Massage Therapy, Kawa Orthodontics and
One-2-One Fitness.
In addition to health services for adults, the association has organized a
Family Fun Day with a sponsored bounce house, face painting and pizza party.
Bill Schmearer, Proprietor of The Melting Pot of Boca Raton will be giving a
lesson on the history of chocolate plus handing out freshly dipped chocolate
treats to all. To further aid the sense of community spirit, the community is
collecting food and donations for Boca Helping Hands Organization, which
recently had its office buildings damaged by fire.
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