Apartment News - June 2016

The official publication of the Arizona Multihousing Association

NEWS

A party to remember

More than 1,400 members gather to celebrate AMA’s Tributes award winners

‘Flash’ from the past AMA Trade Show and Education Conference huge success NEWS & HAPPENINGS Deanna Jordan joins AMA leadership team JUNE/JULY 2016

BEST PRACTICES Q&A with Chris Worrell of GPM Landscaping

WELCOME LETTERS

A night to remember Another Tributes is behind us and what a night we had! It’s been fun to reminisce about the past 50 years of impact that the AMA has had on our industry and we are looking forward to the next 50 as we get stronger.

This time of year stays busy for the AMA with the end of the legislative session. Thanks to our focused efforts, Capitol Consulting and the AMA successfully passed two priority bills — one on energy benchmarking and the other on mandatory recycling.

Late in the session, our team was able to help get some of the Housing Trust Fund restored for Arizona families, and now there will be a sustainable funding source for new affordable housing. We also worked with the Arizona Realtors Association to clarify and simplify some of the rules around short term rentals. Looking ahead, I think that we will see more conversations about short term rentals in multifamily communities. The sharing economy has created some management and safety issues that our industry needs to address and we should be leading this conversation. Stay tuned on these emerging issues as the NAA looks for solutions.

This summer will be a busy one at the local and state levels as we work to meet and support candidates for local elections. We want to stay in front of local city council to be sure that these candidates are educated about what the industry brings to our communities. Using our AMAPAC investments, we will support strong candidates in key races and I urge you to get involved in these efforts. Most importantly, vote in these upcoming elections.

Presidential races always bring out more voters but it’s just as important to vote all the way down the ballot and educate yourself on the best representatives at the local level.

Watch for the AMA email updates on endorsements and key election dates and get involved!

— Tom Simplot, President and CEO Arizona Multihousing Association

Flashback 50 is golden

50

years! Our members lit up the Phoenix Convention Center with the Flashback 50 theme of the Trade Show this year. Thousands of members and colleagues filled the center and explored booths in every corner. Companies embraced the theme and it was a celebration worthy of our gold anniversary!

Our Trade Show committee worked, under the leadership of Dale Phillips, tirelessly for months to pull off this special event and all of the trainings that we offered during the day. These continuing education courses support our teams and ultimately the strength of our companies.

The AMA is proud to offer a wide array of training and certifications for our employees throughout the year. I urge you to continue to invest in your teams. This is really what Tributes is all about!

Our annual celebration of excellence, the Tribute Awards, carried the celebration of 50 years well into the night. Honoring those team members who invest their talents and their passion for our business, Tributes gives the spotlight to those who set the bar high for our companies. One of my favorite categories is the Volunteer of the Year in Phoenix and in Tucson. This year, two remarkable women took home this prize, Katie Macias, Quarterpenny Management in Tucson and Lisa Cote, Allison-Shelton Real Estate Services. I want to personally congratulate them both for their efforts to improve our communities through their personal service.

For the hundreds of nominees from my company and so many others around the state, I want to extend my congratulations and thanks for your work. Our business relies on these extraordinary people and I’m proud to make time to recognize their work!

— Chris Evans, AMA Board Chair HSL Asset Management

AMA Office: 818 N. 1st St., Phoenix, AZ 85004; 602-296-6200; Fax:602-296-6178 Tom Simplot President & CEO tsimplot@azmultihousing.org Erika Kowalski Director of Operations ekowalski@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6210 Michelle Rill Director of Membership, Events & Education mrill@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6205

Lauren Romero Tucson Area Association Executive lromero@azmultihousing.org Phone: 520-323-0643 Fax: 520-447-7747

Stephanie Garcia Events and Education Assistant sgarcia@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6202

Amy Hindenlang Member Services Administrator ahindenlang@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6209

Desiree Brinkman Marketing and Sponsorship Specialist dbrinkman@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6203

Sharon Hosfeld Manager of Community Outreach & Smoke-Free Community Coordinator shosfeld@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6214

Kyle Simplot Accounting & Operations Administrator kyles@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6207

Deanna Jordan Manager of Membership and Business Development djordan@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6212

Kristina Fleischer Community Outreach Coordinator kfleischer@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-296-6204

Todd Bradford Membership Benefit Services Manager tbradford@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-377-2553

Cassidy Campana Apartment News Editor & Communications Consultant ccampana@azmultihousing.org Phone: 602-770-6014

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ENJOY ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF AMA MEMBERSHIP - APPLY ONLINE AT AZMULTIHOUSING.ORG www.azmultihousing.org

Apartment News > June/July 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS > June/July 2016 > www.azmultihousing.org

Valleywide Service

14 COVER STORY: Tributes light up the night

ALL PHASES OF PEST CONTROL

• Monthly Pest Control Programs

More than 1,400 gather to celebrate the AMA’s best of the best

• Termite Specialists/ FREE Est.

FEATURES

• Termite Warranties Available

DEPARTMENTS

12 Flash’ from the past 17 AMC parties in Peoria

6 News & Happenings 8 Legally Speaking 11 Legislative Update 18 Focus on Tucson 19 Best Practices 20 On the Scene 21 Events & Education 22 Thank You Patron Members

Commercial

• Bed Bugs • Bee Service/ Emergency • Beehive Removal • Roach Control/ Programs

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Residential

• Scorpion Control • Rodents, Gophers, Wasps

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• Pigeon Control

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Reasonable Rates Phone Quotes

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AMA NEWS & HAPPENINGS

Deanna Jordan joins AMA team The AMA is proud to welcome Deanna Jordan to the leadership team as the manager of Membership and Business Development. Previously Deanna was a relationship platform banker with Comerica Bank, helping both consumers and businesses in all aspects of banking. She has also worked as the director of technology for several large manufacturing companies, helping improve productivity and performance. Before that she was an international consultant in the South Pacific with a major mobile carrier. Her background offers the AMA strong relationship and business development skills.

Deanna is very active in the Phoenix community and believes that engagement is the accelerator of change. She is currently chair for the Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, as well as dinner co-chair for the HRC Gala. She also sits on the Board of Impact for Enterprising Women, the Multi-Cultural Advisory Board for ONE Community and on the Latina Business Enterprise Board for the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is a mentor with the YEA! Program helping young entrepreneurs start businesses through the AZHCC. She calls Phoenix home as she has lived here since 2003, with her partner Leah, and their cat, Petey.

Raising A Reader expands training across Arizona

S

ince becoming a licensed affiliate with Raising A Reader (RAR), the AMA has seen growing interest in the nationally acclaimed early literacy program. Co-chairs Noelia Doherty of PB Bell and Shandra Mixey from ConAm have been expanding this popular

program around the state. More than 35 professionals have completed the AMA’s free training sessions over the past few months.

The classes are designed for representatives from management companies who will then train each community manager to implement and run their own RAR program on site. Special thanks to PB Bell, Bella Investment Group, Kay-Kay Realty, Dunlap & Magee, ConAm, Housing Authority of Maricopa County, Scotia Group Management, Quarterpenny, Allison-Shelton, HSL Asset Management, Native American Connections and Nicolosi & Fitch for their active participation in the training the trainer classes.

The AMA offers a free RAR Library both in Tucson and Phoenix, where management companies can check out the materials. Some companies are purchasing the program so they can expand this more widely across their communities.

The AMA and the committee are most grateful for the sponsorships from APS, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Cox Communications that allow the organization to help build this important community literacy program.

NELSON NAMED AS QUALIFIER FOR THE NAA NATIONAL MAINTENANCE MANIA

HSL Asset Management’s Jesse Nelson has earned a spot as a National Qualifier in the NAA National Maintenance Mania. In June, he will travel to San Francisco to compete to become the 2016 Maintenance Mania Champion. Nelson’s will be the only Arizona competitor to be included in this national event. Thanks to the continued support of HSL and their commitment to both their employees and this program, the AMA is honored to recognize this champion!

AMA Earns Award From Drowning Prevention Coalition The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona recently awarded the AMA the 2015 Corporate Award for the continued partnership in working to prevent drownings across the state. The AMA’s Stephanie Garcia has been working with the dedicated AMA Project SAFE Committee for the past few years on these programs.

This partnership works to educate apartment community operators about how to stay safe around water and the programs

6

Apartment News > June/July 2016

available to add pool fences to communities in need. SRP, a member of the AMA and a long time partner on these efforts, accepted the award on behalf of the AMA. Congratulations to the Project SAFE Committee members including: Cricket Holland, Daniel Vollmer, Dina Thompson, Jim Kowalski, Jim Stewart, Kim Lahn, Leigh Massey, Natalia Call, Noelia Doherty, Juana Hernandez, Yazmin Amaya, Ryan Brosman, Melissa Lawrence and Terry Bridges. www.azmultihousing.org

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LEGALLY SPEAKING

HUD’s New Guidance

Use of arrest and conviction records in screening applicants for housing

By Judy DrickeyProhow, Esq.

Judy Drickey-Prohow is an attorney with the Law Offices of Scott M. Clark, P.C..

She can be reached at 520-241-1847.

The views expressed here are generalized advice or information. Fact-specific questions should always be referred to legal counsel.

Statements and opinions expressed in these legal columns are solely those of the author or authors. This advice does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Arizona Multihousing Association.

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B

y now most people have heard that on April 4, 2016 the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) issued a new Guidance (“Guidance”) concerning the use of arrest and conviction records.

This Guidance is intended to set out HUD’s interpretation and standards for use of criminal records when those records are used for screening applicants for housing.

While this Guidance changes some of the procedures that our industry has traditionally used to screen applicants, its requirements are not entirely new and they do not require the revolutionary changes that some commentators are predicting.

Background HUD’s recent Guidance has a genesis going back to 1989. In 1989 and 1991 employment discrimination plaintiffs filed a series of lawsuits against employers alleging that their practice of screening out applicants who had arrest and criminal records constituted unlawful discrimination based on race and national origin. Using statistical measures and a disparate effects analysis, plaintiffs in those cases convinced the courts that the practice of excluding all persons who had been arrested and/ or convicted of criminal activity disproportionately excluded African-American and Hispanic applicants from good paying jobs. Based on that evidence several courts held that employers could screen out applicants with criminal convictions only when (1) the employer had an important

Apartment News > June/July 2016

business related reason for excluding persons who had engaged in certain kinds of criminal activities; and (2) there was no less discriminatory way to advance those interests of the employers.

Following those lawsuits, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued guidance as to when and how employers could use criminal arrest and conviction records to screen job applicants. The EEOC expanded and clarified that guidance in 2012. www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/ arrest_conviction.cfm.

HUD and the EEOC have traditionally relied on the same principles to determine what constitutes discrimination in housing and employment, respectively, and courts have tended to follow suit.

So after EEOC established this principle in employment law HUD began working on its own guidance to follow similar standards under the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”).

Fighting for change Around that same time, many people in our industry were vigorously contending that it was improper to use a disparate effects analysis in FHA cases. While HUD disagreed with those contentions, it held off trying to apply this disparate effects analysis to individual rental decisions for several years. That began to change in 2012 when HUD proposed new rules involving the use of the disparate effect analysis in housing. The proposed rules came directly from the analysis that had been used in employment discrimination cases since 1972. In 2013 HUD formally adopted those rules and in the comments to them, HUD indicated that it was working on Guidance involving the use of arrest and conviction records and was reviewing the EEOC guidance in that regard.

Later that year HUD sent a confidential memo (“confidential memo”) to its cooperating agencies proposing the establishment of safe harbors for landlords that use criminal records to screen housing applicants. Those safe harbors were never formally adopted but they reflected the same standards that EEOC was using in its guidance.

In July 2015, after the United States Supreme Court authorized the use of HUD’s disparate effects rules for evaluating claims of discrimination in housing, HUD began seriously drafting the Guidance that it issued on April 4, 2016. This Guidance largely mirrors, in somewhat more cryptic form, most of the standards previously promulgated by the EEOC and discussed in HUD’s 2013 confidential memo. Based on this history it seems realistic to assume that HUD intends to use the same criteria that it discussed in its confidential

www.azmultihousing.org

LEGALLY SPEAKING

guidance and that are also reflected in the EEOC guidance when it comes to evaluating the use of criminal conduct to screen applicants under the FHA.

The Guidance Contrary to popular accounts, HUD’s Guidance does not prohibit properties from using criminal records to screen applicants for housing, although it does limit the kinds of information that can be used. It also does not require an onerous individualized assessment of every applicant. What the Guidance does do is create a roadmap that properties should use before they disqualify anyone on the basis of that person’s criminal history.

HUD makes it clear that this roadmap does not come into play until the property has already determined that the applicant already qualifies on the basis of credit and rental history.

If the person does not qualify on either of those bases and the property would normally reject the applicant for those reasons then it does not need to reach the issue of whether the person has criminal conduct in his/her background. Once the landlord determines that the applicant is otherwise qualified, based on credit and rental history, then the following principles come into play with respect to criminal background screening; Properties may not exclude an applicant on the basis of an arrest that did not result in a conviction for criminal activity.

Properties may screen out applicants based on evidence of continued on page 10 >

Legal Q&A

Legal rights for renters

Q: Is it legal for management to collect the mail from the mailman, sort it and then put it all in her desk drawer and not notify you in any way that you have mail? You have to ask daily. I can see her doing that if this were a motel or hotel, but it’s not, it’s a huge apartment complex. In 2 months, it will be one year since I moved in and in all that time I have never received any junk mail or ads. Is that legal for her to decide what you get in the mail? Is there anything I can do to change this method of distributing the mail?

A: The delivery of mail is covered under Federal law, not state law. It is a crime to remove or deal with somebody else’s mail. Certainly you have the right to receive whatever is sent to the property, including junk mail. I would put the property on written notice, under the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act that they need to deliver all your mail, not just what they this is pertinent. You may also want to talk to your mail carrier as this is something that could be investigated by the United States Attorney General’s office. —Andy Hull, Esq., Hull, Holliday & Holliday

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LEGALLY SPEAKING > continued from page 9

criminal convictions only if the conduct reflected in those criminal convictions is closely related to important interests of the property.

If an applicant is presumptively disqualified from renting at a property due to evidence of a criminal conviction, the property must give the applicant and opportunity to show mitigating measures as to why he or she should be allowed to rent there.

A. Arrest records HUD’s comment about use of arrest records is probably slightly misleading.

In the guidance HUD says that a “housing provider with a policy or practice of excluding individuals because of one or more prior arrests [without any convictions] cannot satisfy its burden of showing that such policy or practice is necessary to achieve its substantial, legitimate non discriminatory interest.” HUD goes on to point out that arrests, in and of themselves, do not provide reliable evidence that a person has engaged in illegal activity because many persons who are arrested have the charges against them dropped or are found not guilty at trial.

The Guidance then goes on to reference the EEOC’s position that “barring applicants from employment on the basis of arrests not resulting in conviction is not consistent with business necessity under Title VII because the fact of an arrest does not establish that criminal conduct occurred.”

While this Guidance appears to suggest that an applicant whose case is still pending may never be prevented from renting, that conclusion is not consistent with either HUD’s earlier confidential memo or with the EEOC guidance on which this Guidance appears to rely.

In the confidential HUD memo from 2013 HUD opined that “owners may also deny tenancy based on pending cases and or outstanding arrest warrants for any felony or misdemeanor [that has a direct implication for the safety of tenants or property] provided that if the pending

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Apartment News > June/July 2016

case or warrant is resolved without a conviction, the owner must reconsider the applicant’s application upon the request of the applicant.”

Similarly the EEOC guidance, while prohibiting the arbitrary exclusion of persons with pending criminal matters, allows employers to make an inquiry into the underlying facts which resulted in the arrest and to screen out applicants when the available evidence involving the arrest suggest that the person may have engaged in conduct that would be detrimental to the employer.

In a housing context, this suggests that it may be permissible for properties to review available police report and other pubic documents to find out exactly what conduct allegedly occurred and to make a decision based on a reasoned under-

Properties may screen out applicants based on evidence of criminal convictions only if the conduct reflected in those criminal convictions is closely related to important interests of the property. standing of that conduct rather than simply on whether an arrest was made.

B. Criminal Convictions In its Guidance HUD clearly authorizes landlords to use screening criteria that advances their fundamental interest in “ensuring resident safety and protecting property,” and it recognizes that use of conviction records are often reliable predictors of whether any person is likely to act in contravention of this fundamental interest. HUD’s early confidential guidance reiterated this same position, concluding that “landlords have a substantial and legitimate interest in ensuring that the applicants they select as tenants will not threaten the physical safety of other tenants or property management, will

not commit crimes against persons or property, and will not engage in other criminal activity which may threaten the health or safety of the rental community.”

Based on this it is clear that HUD’s Guidance does not prevent or prohibit properties from using screening criteria to determine whether applicants have criminal records that contravert important property interests such as ensuring resident safety and protecting property.

The Guidance does, however, prevent properties from screening applicants for criminal conduct that does not have a close correlation with these interests.

This requires a more nuanced screening than many properties currently use, and while the HUD Guidance does not identify what kinds of crimes can/should be excluded out, its earlier confidential memo provided explicit examples. That confidential memo clearly stated that HUD thought that a property’s interest In protecting residents and property could be accomplished by generally screening out persons with the following kinds of convictions: >> Sex offenses subject to lifetime registration >> Convictions for methamphetamine production and distribution >> Crimes against a person, such as homicide or murder, assault, aggravated assault, threats and intimidation, kidnapping, and other violent crimes that caused injury. >> Drug-related offenses >> Crimes against property, such as theft by check, severe criminal damage, arson, and felony destruction of property >> Terrorism related offenses >> Prostitution related offenses >> Cruelty to animal related offenses >> Weapons related offenses >> Other sex offenses That confidential guidance also permitted landlords to exclude persons because of juvenile offenses similar to those identified above and persons who have been given diversion or delayed adjudication for the kinds of conduct identified above.

www.azmultihousing.org

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Arizona legislature adjourns after 117 days 387 measures make it through legislative process

By Courtney LeVinus & Jake Hinman

S

ine Die! The Fifty-Second Legislature, Second Regular Session adjourned sine die on May 7, 2016, at 5:45 A.M. After 117-days in session, and more than two weeks late, lawmakers finally called it a year. A total of 1,247 bills were introduced in 2016, and only 387 measures actually made it through the legislative process.

We are pleased to report that 2016 was another great year for the AMA. Not only did the AMA pass its two priority bills, but equally as important, we were able escape another session without any new regulation.

As reported in the April/May Apartment News, the Governor signed two of the AMA’s priority bills into law — HB2130 and HB2131. The two bills affirm a state law that was passed last year that prohibits cities and towns in Arizona from adopting mandatory energy benchmarking ordinances and mandatory recycling programs.

Direct impact on members

Courtney LeVinus is a principal with Capitol Consulting and Jake Hinman leads legislative affairs for the firm.

They can be reached at 602-712-1121.

www.azmultihousing.org

Since the two signings, the AMA was able to amend two additional bills that will have a direct impact on members.

The AMA and the Arizona Realtors Association joined forces this year to amend a bill related to short term vacation rentals in order to address an administrative quagmire unintentionally caused by the 2014 Transaction Privilege Tax Simplification Act. The bill, SB1350, in its original form, established regulations solely for online lodging, vacation and short-term rental operations. However, as SB1350

progressed through the legislative process, we were able to amend the bill and expand its scope to provide some clarity and regulatory relief for rental property owners who remit transaction privilege taxes (rental tax) to cities or towns.

The new state law will allow a real estate broker, who is licensed with the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR), to file an electronic consolidated tax return derived from the individual properties under management on behalf of the property owners.

The real estate industry sought this amendment after almost two years of failed negotiations between the real estate industry, ADOR and Arizona cities and towns. While the Department of Revenue was amenable to the changes to streamline the process for taxpayers, representatives from various cities and towns were resolute in requiring brokers to file individual licenses and taxes for each and every rental property.

Be aware, brokers will have to wait until the start of the 2018 tax year to file the consolidated returns in order for the Department of Revenue to prepare for the changes.

Funding the Housing Trust Fund As the Session came to a close, the AMA was also able to successfully amend legislation to provide a sustainable funding source for the depleted Arizona Housing Trust Fund.

In a last minute effort, we were able to work with the bill sponsor and the Governor’s office to amend HB2666, to redirect proceeds from the single-family mortgage bond program to be deposited in the Arizona Housing Trust Fund. The amendment is expected to generate $2.5 million annually for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Established in 1988, the Arizona Affordable Housing Trust Fund provides a funding source for affordable housing projects and other housing opportunities for low and moderate income households. Prior to the Great Recession, the fund was funded by 55 % of unclaimed property proceeds, such as the sale of stocks or saving accounts abandoned by an owner. The Trust Fund received more than $30 million annually until 2010, when it was swept and capped at $2.5 million due to state budgetary constraints. Up until now there have been multiple failed attempts to create a new dedicated funding source for the Trust.

Apartment News > June/July 2016

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A ‘FLASH’

FROM THE PAST!

AMA TRADE SHOW AN D E DUCATION CON FE R E NCE H UG E SUCCESS

F

lashbacks to the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s brought back great memories and inspired booths at the AMA Trade Show and Education Conference. Associate members went all out to design and staff creative booths that were not only engaging, but companies were making true connections for business.

More than 1,200 people attended the sold out trade show. Every aisle of the event highlighted a different decade and companies developed booths that were both interactive and informative.

David Carchidi of Showoff Video

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Apartment News > June/July 2016

Production spent hours over the two days interviewing members and guests and learned that this year, members reported building stronger links to members during the event and some even secured business through their networking.

This year’s breakout sessions focused largely on technology and its impact on the multifamily business. From personal productivity to marketing to resident feedback and management, technology affects every aspect of the business. Other sessions reviewed how to set personal and professional priorities and adding clarity to a career.

TRADE SHOW BOOTH WINNERS Best Use of Theme: Redi-Carpet Best Costumes: Hull, Holliday, and Holliday, PLC >> Most Interactive Booth: GPM Landscape/Smart Pest >> People’s Choice Award: Kowalski Construction >> >>

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A party to remember More than 1,400 gather to celebrate the AMA’s best of the best

T

ributes started off with a BOOM! The Boom Drumline 10-piece marching band energized Tributes attendees and led everyone into the ballroom with their music. The laser show and high energy music kicked off a memorable night. To begin the evening, lead sponsor Cox Communications’ Janet West, vice president of Gigabit Marketing, hosted a champagne toast to celebrate the AMA’s 50th anniversary.

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Apartment News > June/July 2016

Event chair Amy Smith of Bella Investments and her Tributes committee organized an incredible celebration that highlighted the achievements of the night’s 23 winners. More than 1,400 professionals gathered to recognize the best of the best of the Arizona multifamily industry. Video screens dominated the room so every seat in the house had a clear view of the stage and winners.

www.azmultihousing.org

Sue Campbell, Redi Carpet - Tucson

WINNERS

INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR – TUCSON

INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR – STATEWIDE

Michelle Howland, Blue Steel Security Services

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR – TUCSON

Katie Macias, Quarterpenny Management

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR – STATEWIDE

Lisa Cote, Allison-Shelton Real Estate Services

AFFORDABLE COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR

Gracie’s Village, Dunlap & Magee Property Management

RENOVATED PROPERTY OF THE YEAR Mira Santi, Mark-Taylor Residential

DEVELOPER’S AWARD FOR BEST COMMUNITY DESIGN BUILT 2014 TO 2015

Broadstone 1675, Alliance Residential Company

HOUSEKEEPER OF THE YEAR

Ane Leverts, Dunlap & Magee Property Management

LEASING CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR

Jessica Wangrycht, Mark-Taylor Residential

ASSISTANT MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Stephanie Ogilbee, Mark-Taylor Residential

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR

Miguel Mejia, Dunlap & Magee Property Management

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR 1-199 UNITS Mike Petrone, Allison-Shelton Real Estate Services

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR 200+ UNITS Barton West, Holland Residential

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR – OUTSIDE THE VALLEY

Phil O’Brien, Scotia Group Management, LLC

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR 1-199 UNITS Marjorie Trabucco, Pinnacle

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR 200+ UNITS Kaysie Kiefer, Greystar Real Estate Partners

COMMUNITY MANAGER - OUTSIDE THE VALLEY

Olivia Martinez, Greystar Real Estate Partners

BEST TEAM & COMMUNITY BUILT PRIOR TO 1997 Vaseo, Alliance Residential Company

BEST TEAM & COMMUNITY BUILT BETWEEN 1997-2007 Residences at 4225, Greystar Real Estate Partners

BEST TEAM & COMMUNITY BUILT BETWEEN 2008-2015 Tempe Metro, Greystar Real Estate Partners

BEST TEAM & COMMUNITY OUTSIDE THE VALLEY Springs at Continental Ranch, AllisonShelton Real Estate Services

REGIONAL MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR Jud McKillop, Pinnacle

REGIONAL PROPERTY SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR Tina Schreiber, Alliance Residential Company

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Apartment News > June/July 2016

15

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AMC parties in Peoria at the Place in Santana Village

By Adam Greco, Burns Pest Elimination C Residential Communities’ turned the most recent AMC meeting on its head and gave members an experience to remember.

Partner and president Lesley Brice, and Mary Rogers, their Asset Manager, welcomed more than 70 AMC members to the new community in Peoria, one of the newest apartment developments in the area. Brandi Coleman, the community manager, and Ricardo Salinas, the district maintenance supervisor, were also on hand to network with guests and members during the special event.

The management company hosted a full spread of food and refreshments for the members. Guests especially enjoyed the MC-a-Ritas, a homemade margarita cocktail.

The team at MC changed up the normal AMC agenda and focused on the associate members, instead of themselves, to show how much they

M

appreciate the relationships and hard work that our members provide in helping MC continue their success.

Lesley and her MC team shared some of the highlights of the Sharing the Good Life program, which the company runs for their employees and their residents.

They have developed a number of programs to support nonprofits. They have even started selling their own MCopoly games for $100 and 100% of the proceeds going to the AMA Autism charity, which Lesley chairs.

Great Service Quality Products Extensive Product Line National Spec Presence Emily Zubia Maintenance Specialists 480-204-9633 Manny Romero Maintenance Specialists 480-313-2492

It was very refreshing for all associate members and to top it all off, the team at MC had a raffle for several gifts that were given away. Paul Chamberlain of Kowalski Construction won the grand prize, lunch with Lesley Brice.

After the meeting, the leasing team took groups of associate members on tours of the property. The Place at Santana Village is Peoria’s newest apartment community and the property features a number of impressive amenities for the residents to enjoy. Their pool and spa areas were designed for fitness and relaxation. The homes here also live like a luxury community with gourmet kitchens, designer cabinets and private balconies.

This community opened in 2016 and has 224 homes.

Adam Greco is the commercial sales manager of Burns Pest Elimination. He can be reached at 602-971-4782 and adamg@ burnspestelimination.com.

FOCUS ON TUCSON

FANDEMONIUM REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

PASTORE DONATES $5000 TO BIG HEARTS TUCSON

SHERIFF NANOS ATTENDS 1ST COALITION MEETING

Amanda Pastore, Sales Executive with RentPath, recently donated $5,000 to AMCF - Big Hearts Tucson. Her generous donation will support the Arizona Multihousing Charitable Foundation’s work and Our Family Services in Tucson.

The first meeting of the AMA’s Northwest Tucson Coalition welcomed Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. The association was honored to have a leading law enforcement official educate members about crime prevention in their communities, and it was an opportunity for the AMA to share how management companies are working together to keep communities safe.

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The AMA/ATI Restoration Tucson Golf Tournament was a huge success due to the many sponsors and golfers who brought their team spirit for FANdemonium at AZ National Golf Club last month. Congratulations to all of the winners!

1st Place: Waste Management (Paul Moreno, Jeff Beck, Chad Bowden, Brandon Grieser) 2nd Place: Elena Douglas & Tony Flores (Villas at San Dorado –Mark Taylor) and Kelley Amey & Dane Frandsen (ATI Restoration) 3rd Place: FSI – Kelly Martin (FSI) & Mike Ruske (Prime Group) Most Honest Score: Dan Ortiz (Prime Group), Ricky Salinas (MC Companies), Chris Jack-

son (Catalina Canyon- HSL), Rick Kucherer (Maintenance Supply Headquarters) Team Spirit: Redi Carpet & Valley Wide Security Sponsors: Title – ATI Restoration; Putting Contest- FSI Construction; Beverage Cart- RentPath and Signasure; Photography Sponsor- Redi Carpet & Valley Wide Security; Transportation- For Rent; Trophy- Sunland Asphalt & Northwest Exterminating; Breakfast- Dunn-Edwards & Carpenter, Hazelwood, Delgado & Bolen, PLC; Mulligan/Raffle Pack- WASH Laundry; Luncheon- Tucson Appliance & PPG; Raffle Prizes- Quarterpenny Management, Republic Services, Ferguson, Southwest Solutions

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Q &A

BEST PRACTICES

An interview with Chris Worrell of GPM Landscaping Q: How did you get started with GPM Landscaping?

Our owner, Cameron Chandler, played baseball in college and mowed lawns for extra money. He got his teammates to help out and my brother was one of those guys. I joined GPM 10 years ago as the company was beginning to grow.

I started out on a crew and then worked as a foreman and learned every part of the business. Eventually this evolved into sales as well and today, I lead business development and sales.

Q: How has your business changed or evolved over the years in the multifamily industry?

Our company has evolved as the industry evolved to meet their needs. The apartment industry has grown dramatically and we have had to keep up with them.

During the recovery, management companies and owners were ready to make major investments in amenities in communities. We’ve learned how to build dog parks, outdoor patio areas and other amenities. Today, we have the ability to do it all from barbeque, to full outdoor living areas and parks in communities.

Q: What’s been GPM’s guiding principle?

“Built on honestly, driven on dependability” — it’s our motto and a big part of our success. Our goal is to find and build long-term relationships with our clients.

We still have many of the same clients we had 10 years ago. We’ve built trust.

There were bumps and bruises and we learned from it, and now we have developed a niche in the industry.

This industry is different because we have the highest quantity of eyes (residents, children, pets) on our work. The

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management teams and owners are vigilant for their residents.

We learned early on that communication is a big deal. When I was working outside, I would go into the community and talk with our clients to find out what they needed. We identified issues and talked about what they wanted. Now it’s part of our procedure.

Communications became a priority — constant, productive communication.

I think it sets us apart from our competitors and has given us a competitive edge.

clients get to know us.

We work with about 30 different management companies and we appreciate the business. Some of our partners have brought us to their community projects like Alliance Residential’s Arbor Day. They asked us to help plant trees and we loved being involved in that. As much as we can, we want to be involved and support our partners as well.

Q: GPM’s teams get very involved in the community.

What benefits for your team and for your company have you seen as a result?

I’ve served on a number of committees with the AMA and built great relationships there. We’re still very active with Big Hearts and Project Safe.

In the beginning, we just tried to be present and over time, we developed a good reputation and have built strong relationships. When we joined the AMA 7 years ago, we weren’t in a position to sponsor, but we volunteered. It put us on that map that we were present and involved. Now that we have grown, we are able to do more with the AMA.

This is still a family owned business and we have about 95 employees now. We are a very family oriented and we do lots of team building with our guys. If you check out our Facebook page, you will see that we post photos of our teams, and of our work. It’s a good platform for letting people know what we do, and to let our

Q: How does your team leverage its involvement with the AMA to support your business?

Apartment News > June/July 2016

19

ON THE SCENE RECENT AMA EVENTS

AMA celebrates 2nd annual National Apartment Housing Day

by Jim Kowalski, Kowalski Construction, Inc. ur Association recently came together to celebrate the apartment industry, and enjoy a Happy Hour sponsored by some of our Associate Members. This was the 2nd Annual National Apartment Housing Day, AMA’s President & CEO, Tom Simplot, gave a short presentation to remind us all just how important our industry really is.

The National Apartment Association has set a goal of “10-In-2: 10-million units in 2 years.” With the help of growing associations like the AMA, they

O

are on their way to reaching their goal, and have already achieved 8 million units in just one year!

The economic numbers the NAA released last year show that apartments contribute over $1.3 trillion to our nation’s economy, supporting 12.3 million jobs. Today, one-third of Americans choose to live the apartment lifestyle.

The National Apartment Housing Day is also designed to promote and call attention to the NAA Education Conference & Exposition, which is coming up in San Francisco on June 15-18. This is NAA’s first time in the “City by the Bay,” so if

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you haven’t already done so, be sure to sign up so you won’t miss all the learning opportunities and excitement!

Thanks again to all the Associate Members who made this evening possible through their sponsorship, to the AMA staff who made all the arrangements, and to all the regular members who took the time to come out for the festivities. Remember, we’re all in this together, “WE’RE FAMILY! MULTIFAMILY!”

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS Affordable Fire & Safety; Arizona Smoke-Free Living; Blue Steel Security Services; Burns

Pest Elimination; CORT; Criterion Brock; For Rent Media Solutions; FSI Construction; GPM; Integrated Landscape Management; Interstate Restoration; Kowalski Construction; Law Office of James R. Vaughan; Law Offices of Scott Clark; NPM Staffing; Pet CSI; PPG Paints; Redi Carpet; RentPath; Sherwin-Williams; SignaSure; Spray Systems Environmental; Synergy Painting; The Greenspan Co./Adjusters International; The Liberty Group; Valet Waste; Williams, Zinman & Parham

Lyceum heads to the Capitol, meets Sinema and leadership

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One of the most popular days of the AMA’s Lyceum program, the day at the State Capitol, brings together the important themes of the leadership program. Class members gain an understanding of how the Association’s work at the Legislature impacts their businesses and the industry as a whole. Courtney LeVinus, the association’s lead lobbyist, arranged a tour of the both houses and meetings with state leaders to discuss how multifamily industry leaders can educate their representatives. US Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema and State Senator Robert Meza spent time with the Lyceum class during their Capitol day as well. The AMA appreciates these leaders making time for our industry!

EVENTS & EDUCATION AZMULTIHOUSING.ORG

Tucson

Phoenix

Classes held at the AMA Office, 818 N. 1st St., Phoenix 85004

PHOENIX DINNER MEETING June 8, 5-8 p.m.

Phoenix Country Club, 2901 N. 7th St., Phoenix

RULES & REGULATIONS WITH COMMISSIONER LOWE June 9, 9 a.m.-Noon AMA Office

June 16, 9 a.m.-Noon $20 ($40 non-members)

TUCSON NETWORKING AMA BILLIARDS TOURNAMENT

June 24 Clicks Billiards, 3325 N. 1st Ave

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