Irrigation Savings

In our September 2006 issue of eNews Monthly, we highlighted Smart Irrigation Systems to save money on irrigation costs. Smart irrigation controllers use external data and algorithms to set irrigation cycles to match plant requirements. They use weather conditions to predict "evapotranspiration" and consider the amount of water provided to the plants naturally through rainfall.

A year later, in the September 2007 issue, we showed the Water Savings in the Clear Lake City Boulevard Association (CLCBA) from the installation of smart controllers from ET Water. At that time the controllers had been in place for one year and the savings were remarkable. In Houston, 2007 was a very wet year so you may think "Of course you used less water - it rained all summer". But that is exactly the point! We should have used less water and the controllers automatically made sure that happened. With mechanical clocks, reducing water only happens when and if the irrigation technician goes to every clock and reduces the watering time. And no grounds maintenance company will set the clock to the water needs of an average or wet August day - they will set it for the hottest, driest day that could happen so the begonias don't wilt!

Now that the controllers have been in place for almost three years, we wanted to provide an update. CLCBA is responsible for a 3-1/2 mile stretch of landscaped and irrigated boulevard. Thirteen ET controllers manage all water usage. They receive weather data from a server through cell-phone type communication devices and automatically adjust their irrigations cycles on a station-by-station basis. Our grounds maintenance company, TruGreen LandCare, remotely monitors the controllers and does onsite inspections of the system. However, they have made very few controller adjustments over the last three years. The controllers handled a wet 2007, an average 2008, a dry 2009 and a wet 2010 with few adjustments!

These graphs show the water usage superimposed over rainfall data. The controllers were installed near the end of 2007. The project to convert to these smart controllers cost CLCBA about $22,000. The savings have been at least $10,000 per year so we have already recovered our initial investment. In addition to the cost savings, we are delivering the right amount of water to the landscaping which results in healthier plants. We are having less run-off onto the streets and into the waterways.

So where should this technology be used? There is a wide range of technology available and the performance will generally be proportional to the price. The least expensive controllers base their irrigation cycles on historical weather patterns in a region of the country. That means that they will apply less water in the winter and more in the summer but they don't take into account today's actual weather. As controllers get more expensive, they use real-time weather data or even have on-site weather stations. Looking at a particular community, the best returns on investment will occur where there are large irrigated areas connected to few controllers. Replacing controllers that only have a few stations or battery operated controllers would be typically be cost prohibitive.

Congratulations to the CLCBA board of directors, Doug Quillen, Paul Kevin Dix and Rob Warner, on their decision to consider and implement this advanced technology.

CAI Trade Show

Greater Houston Chapter of Community Associations Institute hosts a day of education and an opportunity to obtain information on products, services and solutions for board members, property managers and homeowners living in community associations.

The conference is open to the public and is free of charge.

Educational opportunities offered at The Trade Show this year include:

• 10:00 a.m. Update on Texas Water Rules - Greater Houston Pool Management
• 2:00 p.m. Going Green - Margey Meyer, Associa
• 2:00 p.m. Parliamentarian Procedure - Dennis Clark, Houston Parliamentary Services
• 3:00 p.m. Texas Legislative Update - Pam Bailey, Chaparral Management Company
• 3:00 p.m. Reserve Studies - Jim Main, Capital Reserve Consultants
• 4:00 p.m. Rights & Responsibilities of HOA Boards - Charles Jordan, Daughtry and Jordan
• 4:00 p.m. Update on Texas Water Rules - Greater Houston Pool Management

In addition to the education curriculum, business partners will offer their expertise on a wide range of products and services. There are already eighty exhibitors signed up for the event so there will be plenty to see.

For more information, please contact CAI at 713/784-5462.

In Memoriam

Nancy "Ann" Tate
07/02/1952 - 07/25/2010

We wish to extend our condolences to the family of Nancy "Ann" Tate. Ann Tate passed away on July 25th with her loving family by her side following a lengthy illness. Ann was an employee of C.I.A. Services and the mother of employees Laura and Brittany Tate. We will miss her greatly. Thank you, Ann, for making the world a better place.

Upcoming Seminars

The schedule for our popular C.I.A. Services Seminar Series is now set. This is the eight year for our popular seminar series which give board members and other volunteers an opportunity to learn more about community associations. We continue to receive very positive feedback on the content and presentation. To view the seminar descriptions and schedule, click here or visit the Library page of our website.

Each seminar begins at 6:00 p.m. and runs 2 hours. We provide deli sandwiches so you won't have to rush to eat dinner beforehand. You'll leave with knowledge you can use immediately and a great notebook with the seminar slides, samples and reference materials for your future reference and to share with others. Here are upcoming seminars.

The Super-Budgeting Process "Super-Budgeting" is our term for preparing a comprehensive long term budget and business plan. This isn't something you do on the back of an envelope an hour before the budget meeting. We'll break the process down into understandable components and show you how assets and reserves fit in the picture. We'll start with a simple question that very few people can answer correctly: "How much money should our Association have in the bank?" By the end of the seminar, you'll know the correct answer for your Association. This is a critical seminar to take before you start looking at budgets. August 9, 2010 (Monday), 6:00 p.m. — North Office August 26, 2010 (Thursday), 6:00 p.m. — Southwest Office September 23, 2010 (Thursday), 6:00 p.m. — North Office September 30, 2010 (Thursday), 6:00 p.m. — Southwest Office

You can register at any time by calling 713-981-9000 or emailing seminars@ciaservices.com.

Community of the Month

We are proud of every one of our communities so it is always hard to find just one to highlight. We start by having each of our Community Managers write a nomination for one of their communities. We then read them and take a vote. Here are our most recent selections:

• August - Oak Park Ridge Section 2 Homeowners Association
  Southwest Office - Gina Victor, Community Manager
• July - SC Community Association
  Southwest Office - Leslie Baldwin, Community Manager
• June - Ashcreek Homeowners Association
  North Office - Brenda Ellington, Community Manager

To see the full story on these communities and to see the past winners, visit the Community of the Month page on our web site.

Anniversaries

Every month we appreciate the communities that are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Here are the clients that started with us in August.

• Country Colony Community Improvement Association — 15 years
• Covington Bridge Community Association — 7 years
• Glen Park Homeowners Association — 6 years
• Telfair Community Council — 4 years
• Quail Green Homeowners Association — 3 years

Our goal has always been to create a positive, long term relationship with all of our client communities. We are very proud to be managing all of these communities.

C.I.A Services continues to grow as more communities hear about our unique approach to community association management. We would like to welcome our newest clients that have come onboard in the last three months.

• Community Association of Crockett Park — North Office — Annette Escarenio, Community Manager

Employee Spotlight

• Congratulations to Vice President and North Office community manager Laura Tate on earning her Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation from the Community Associations Institute. The PCAM designation is the highest professional recognition available nationwide to managers who specialize in community association management. It demonstrates experience, knowledge and advanced skills. She completed all of the course work and recently passed the final case study.
• Congratulations to our newest stockholder. North Office administrative assistant Frances McIntyre is celebrating her 5 year anniversary this month.
• Congratulations to four employees who are celebrating anniversaries with C.I.A. Services. Kim Moore and Angie Thomas both joined us 12 years ago, Annette Escarenio, has now completed 8 years and Anna Quiroga is celebrating her 6th anniversary. Kim is our Southwest Office branch manager. Annette and Anna are North Office community managers. Angie provides a variety of support services to our North Office staff.

Laura Tate		Frances McIntyre		Kim Moore

Angie Thomas		Annette Escarenio		Anna Quiroga