pump and resulting in a costly service call.
a A property manager and landscape committee chairman meet to discuss residents who“ are cheating” by resetting their irrigation timers in order to get more water. The frustration is so high that putting locks on their boxes is considered.
a A landscape-maintenance provider is asked to visit a homeowner and explain why she needs to stop resetting her irrigation timer, even though all community residents have been informed by their property manager and / or HOA not to do so. landscape company wants to have water. It helps our maintained HOA properties throughout Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties grow and thrive. When that happens, property values increase. Residents are happy. But when established guidelines or regulations are circumvented, it can cause headaches for everyone. If you want something you can really set your clock to, set it to the fact that irrigation will never be a
substitute for rain. It simply augments it. Further augmenting the amount of water that’ s been approved to be augmented only increases one thing: frustration. Think about that the next time you tinker with your timer.
Michael Casper has been with ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design for 19 years and served as Irrigation Manager before being promoted to Vice President of New Business Development.
a An entire 32-home community swears its property management company never explained they had a water source issue, resulting in many residents adjusting their irrigation timers as needed while complaining to landscape crew workers.
No one wants to be the water police
No one wants to be the water police, especially the hardworking landscape company who just wants to perform its contracted services and not be pulled off schedule to address avoidable issues. Which means that unfortunately, property managers and / or HOA boards all too often find themselves being the“ enforcers”-- the ones who have to step in, and quite honestly, should step in. The solution is communication, plain and simple. When homeowners, boards, property managers and landscape partners communicate and understand the ground rules for their grounds maintenance, things flow much more smoothly. landscape companies want water as much as you but … Trust us. No one more than your
WWW. CAIWeSTFlORIDA. ORg
community • June 2025
HELP Wanted
CAI Members Who Will Share Their Knowledge, Expertise & Time
We are looking for volunteers to join the following committees:
Ambassador Registration Magazine Homeowner Education
For more information, email Info @ CAIWestFlorida. org
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