Page 3 - New England Condominium August 2021

NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -AUGUST 2021 3 New Kids on the Board........1 Across the country, one of the biggest challenges to governing condominiums, homeown- Paper, or electronic? It’s now a choice for everything, from the books we read for pleasure ers associations, and co-ops is finding new members who are willing to volunteer their to the books we keep on our associations and corporations. Even restaurant menus are time and energy to serve on their community’s board of directors or trustees. In addition digital today in the wake of the need for ‘touch-free’ environments amid the COVID-19 to a time commitment that can seem onerous to those whose lives are already packed with pandemic. With that said, co-op and condo communities generate volumes of information work, families, hobbies, households, and more, board service comes with myriad tasks, and data every year, from minutes of meetings to receipts for expenses and payments to responsibilities, and politicking. After all, who would want to take an unpaid gig that financial information on unit and share buyers. But how much of all that really needs to potentially makes you the recipient of all your neighbors’ grievances? Improving Board Involvement......1 Even among otherwise conscientious, community-minded condo, HOA, and co-op resi- dents, the idea of running for and serving on their board often ranks somewhere between taxes and dental work. It conjures thoughts of endless meetings...arguing about the minu- tiae of vendor bids...confrontations with neighbors unhappy with board decisions...gossipy remarks in the elevator...the list goes on. Digital Documents ........1 be kept, and for how long? And is there anything that should be kept specifically in paper form, as well as digitized? Yale Robbins Publisher Henry Robbins Executive Vice President Joanna DiPaola Associate Publisher Hannah Fons Senior Editor Darcey Gerstein Associate Editor Pat Gale Associate Editor Shirly Korchak Art Director Anne Anastasi Production Manager Alan J. Sidransky Staff Writer Alyce Hill Director of Sales Copyright 2021 by New England Condominium Magazine LLC, dba Community Association Publishing.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. New England Condominium is published monthly in New York, New York by New England Condominium Magazine LLC, dba Community Association Publishing, 205 Lexington Ave., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10016. 508-753-4630. ISSN 1550-946X. Periodical postage paid at New York, New York and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions are available free by request to condominium and homeowner associations. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to New England Condominium Magazine, 205 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10016. FREE Subscriptions for Board Members, Trustees, Property Managers and Real Estate Decision Makers. To Subscribe, please visit us at: newenglandcondo.com/subscribe TABLE OF CONTENTS Pulse...... 4 Q&A...... 5 Marketplace...... 10