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Help me prove the landscape maintenance company wrong
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Author:  old girl 54 [ Fri Jul 02, 2004 2:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Help me prove the landscape maintenance company wrong

I'm a member of a board of directors for a homeowner's association in Wylie. We are trying to conserve water usage and cut our water bill on our common areas. We have 10 acreas of grass that is mowed and watered by a landscape company. They insist on watering every other day and the run off is like a river. They used to water at night from 8pm. We finally got them to change to 1:00 am to 6:00 am.

We've told them to water once a week and to water just until runoff and they are telling us that they know what they are doing. There contract is up at the end of the year, so even though they are getting paid $50,000/year, we are stuck for right now.

Can you please put our mission in writing.

Thank you,
k.

Author:  Mr. Clean [ Fri Jul 02, 2004 3:41 pm ]
Post subject: 

For some reason, I don't see where a problem could exist. The HOA is the customer, and usually businesses strive to meet the customer's demands/wishes. It would seem that if it was carefully explained that the HOA wanted their wishes concerning watering followed, or the contract would not be renewed. That would get their attention (a $50K annual contract isn't something that comes to you everyday - or do they?). I'm sure they would want it in writing that the HOA would be responsible for any problems related to the decreased watering. That wouldn't/shouldn't be a problem.

Who is paying for the water?

Author:  Scott Fl [ Fri Jul 02, 2004 4:43 pm ]
Post subject: 

im sure they will be willing to do whatever you want with the water,,,,,,just release them from any liabilty if the plants and turf die or start looking bad! im sure they are just trying to give you the best lawn they can give you,,,,,without hurting themselves!

Author:  ziggy [ Sat Jul 03, 2004 11:39 am ]
Post subject: 

It might help if you can provide results of a study done by a credable source (like a university) that shows that less frequent, but deep watering is better. I don't have time to go looking, is anybody aware of any such study?

Author:  Ropes4u [ Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:12 am ]
Post subject: 

50K a year! I would mow the lawn with a push mower if ask to 8)

Author:  Seedling1 [ Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:08 pm ]
Post subject:  re: $50k a year

I'm part of an association as well. Only 3 units and not quite 10 acres of land BUT. To save money to accumulate in our account I do the grass cutting myself. So that $5000 a year we were paying lanscapers is now in our account as cash for other projects. Our grass is green and our plants are happy!

Whenever your contract expires, just get a couple of quotes elsewhere or do it yourself and tell the HOA that you want 30k a year.

Author:  Gar [ Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:59 pm ]
Post subject: 

I agree with Seedling1. Why not have the people that live there take care of the common ground. Tell the management that you guys will do it yourself if they will lower the HOA fees by a bunch. The property pays for everything but the labor is donated. I bet that people that live there would be willing to at least help out, especially knowing that they use it and that way no chemicals will be used. Have the property owners buy only organic materials.

Good Luck

$50,000 seems a wee bit steep for maintenance of 10 acres.

Author:  Nadine [ Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:53 pm ]
Post subject: 

I realize this reply is a bit late, but I found it searching for something else. Even Texas A&M has published that less frequent, deep watering along with mowing grass at the proper height will reduce water usage. Then add to the picture organic maintenance and you have yourself an ideal situation. The use of synthetic, high nitrogen fertilizers will only aggrivate the problem. You might pass this information along, too. Check out the City of Austin's website:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/greenhouse.htm

“… the use of inorganic N fertilizer resulted in significantly higher nitrate-N and total N losses. Overall, significantly lower nitrate-N and total N losses were observed when an organic fertilizer was used, with the exception of the 2" Dillo Dirt treatment in study 2. For comparison purposes, each 110 mg of nutrient lost represents 0.10 lbs of nutrient per 1000 sqft….”

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen/greenhouse.htm

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