State and federal elected officials cannot come to power without the necessary support of corporate interests. Duplicity is an inherent and inescapable feature of any legislative action: the appearance of protecting the public interest while maintaining systems of property and racial capitalism that turn people and nature into profit. Lawmakers pass laws with titles designed to convince the public that laws are having positive effects. Meanwhile, Halls of Power remain enclosed privileged spaces that carefully regulate how and when the public can participate. For any community, but especially for communities in drought zones, it is beneficial to work with your city or county and water district to reduce water consumption. These facilities know that associations are responsible for irrigating the landscape and they can help your community get water-efficient sprinkler heads, weather controls, and other water-saving equipment at a great price, as they have access to discounts and subsidies. Your water district, in particular, can help by putting in place the necessary infrastructure to get treated water to the community`s sprinkler facility and get rebates for renovations. They can also do a usage analysis – along with other utilities – to see if the community has a leak or if there are simply ways for the community to save their water bill. In short, it`s worth knowing your water district. The contract must also state that the municipality has the right to audit the activities of the service provider to ensure that it is doing what it is supposed to do.
If the service is not provided at a satisfactory level, the municipality has the right to take certain measures. For example, the municipality could withhold payment until the service provider acts in accordance with the contract and, in more serious cases, the municipality could also terminate the contract. If your community welcomes wildlife visitors, it`s obvious to make an appointment with your pest control company, but depending on the type of pest, you may be able to record this call. Often, city or county animal departments remove a group of deer, rattlesnake nests, or skunk burrows. And if coyotes are constantly invading your neighborhood, cities and counties have ways to catch them and release them where they need to be. And of course, they can also accommodate dogs or cats in the wild. Explain four steps the municipality can take to raise awareness of its dissatisfaction with service delivery A management contract is an agreement between a municipality and a service provider under which the service provider is responsible for all aspects of a particular service. This type of agreement generally has a duration of between three and five years. An example of a management contract is waste disposal, where the service provider is responsible for managing waste collection while using municipal staff and equipment. In 2020, residents of Grant Township successfully pressured the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to recognize its transformative legislation by denying permission to inject toxic fracking waste that threatens ecosystems and the local water system. Often, however, cities or counties do not know where to contact the association.
You can resolve this issue by having your community manager contact the city or county to identify the HOA connection and introduce it and your community. Often this is someone from the community development department or the City Manager`s office. You and your community have rights, and CELDF is here to help you fight for them. Click here to learn more about where we work and how you and your community can get involved – or email us at info@celdf.org. Through community rights, we are committed to empowering residents to become decision-makers, while adding a layer of protection for people`s most basic rights and ecosystem rights. In addition, Community Rights proposes and promotes a system of “shared power” to replace existing “power over” relationships.
