July is national Parks and Recreation Month. Rather than simply celebrating the beauty of green spaces—which in itself is worthwhile—the National Recreation and Park Association challenges you “to explore the ‘undiscovered’ roles of local parks and recreation, like science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programming; senior programs; innovative health and wellness opportunities; community celebrations; outdoor education; flood mitigation; maintenance; and more.” How parks play a role in such a diverse range of topics may not be immediately evident. We’ve put together a cheat sheet of five ways to enjoy parks from a new perspective. STEM With its broad base, the connections between STEM and parks offer endless opportunities. Adult groups may consider volunteering with your local parks. Volunteers can learn about trail construction and maintenance, sustaining wildlife, building footbridges, and tracking park activity cycles. Kids may start by identifying the state bird, state flower, and other wildlife and foliage. Have them observe the habitat in which it grows and how its presence affects other living things. (For example, fireflies enjoy living near ponds where they can readily feast on smaller insects. They are prey for birds that also live near the pond.) Of course, all work and no play makes for a dull day at the park! Be sure to work in playtime among your exploration of STEM. Senior Programs Seniors feel a stronger sense of inclusion in their community when they have exposure to green spaces. This can include walks, yoga or Tai Chi, volunteering in park events, and outdoor meditation sessions. While interacting with nature is ideal, it isn’t mandatory for seniors to receive health benefits. Studies show that simply sitting in nature or viewing it can improve a persons’ mental health and sense of well being. Wellness Opportunities Many parks host...

Homeowner associations are experiencing a period of rapid change. These changes influence everything from how parties communicate to the appearance of the community. Explore three HOA trends for 2018-2019. Revisiting Short-Term Rental Rules Short-term rentals are an increasingly hot topic, particularly in popular tourist destinations and bustling metros. Many HOAs are tightening up short-term rental restrictions due to local government policy. Complaints from neighboring owners over safety, noise, and cleanliness have also raised concerns At the other end of the spectrum, some HOAs are finding ways to amend bylaws, making it easier for owners to rent out their units. This is rare, occurring only when the majority of owners value the economic potential of short-term rentals. HOAs may also find themselves revisiting rules about the community’s appearance. Regulations on political signage, flags, and other exterior décor have surfaced during owners’ meetings throughout the country and will likely continue. Increasing Demand for Certified Property Managers The demand for licensed property managers has surged in recent years. Community association managers (CAMs) remove the burden of fee collection while dedicating time and resources to owner and prospect care. Residents appreciate the professional services. Managers benefit from delegating tasks and potentially higher resident satisfaction. In most states, CAMs do not need a license. The lack of consistency and regulation has managers seeking CAMs with certifications in an effort to ensure quality Organizations such as the Community Associations Institute (CAI), Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and National Associated Builders and Owners (NABO) have witnessed increased enrollment. As these graduates enter the workforce, managers will have a larger body of certified CAMs from which to choose. Growing Prominence of Software Solutions Owners and manager both are discovering the benefits of condo-specific software that expedites documentation and billing processes.These solutions...

FirstService Residential is the largest third-party manager of homeowner’s associations in the United States, with more than 6,000 properties – and another 600 or so in Canada. So it makes sense that the Dania Beach, Florida-based company would be think big about how to deliver technology solutions specifically for the HOA lifestyle. Whether you’re a resident or owner of a home in a master planned community, a community manager of an HOA or a member of a community board of directors, FirstService is thinking about how to improve your experience, and give you mobile applications to obtain information and complete neighborhood-related tasks. “Whatever we can do to make the community manager’s life easier, and do that in an effective way, translates into a better experience for the resident,” said Alan Missen, recently appointed CIO for FirstService. “That’s such a big part of our culture, making a difference in every resident’s life every day.” Missen talked about the various apps FirstService is developing and how they hope to make the HOA experience more mobile-friendly for everyone involved. Tell us about your existing resident service portal. Missen: FSRConnect is our core property management solution. It’s focused on helping the associates to service the property and has a lot of information around the residents, the properties, and it aids in managing much of the activity around amenities. In the HOA world, there’s lots of documents that need to be put in the hands of residents, so we handle document management with this solution. We manage work orders, violations, architectural modifications, and we also provide some financial data that residents can touch. We’re generally more cautious around that, the financial data being more sensitive, so we keep a lot of that back in our accounting solutions. But we...