Neighbors Checklist: Condo Boards

Do something special (and hopefully tasteful) with the front yard--e.g. flowers that everyone can enjoy.
Devise a system for disposing of or recycling large objects, and coordinate your disposal plan with your neighbors on the block. This will help avoid fly dumping in the neighborhood.
Encourage public posting on a bulletin board in a laundry room or other common space for things like: board meeting minutes, pet or baby sitting, furniture for sale, tutoring, etc.
Schedule a meeting with the Alderman to introduce your condo association to him.
Create a gathering space where neighborly interactions can occur, like placing a small food spread from time to time in the lobby to encourage people to hang around for a moment and chat.
Elect an official liaison to the neighborhood association; actively participate in neighborhood meetings.
Properly maintain the parts of the building that face the street, adding some bonuses like flower boxes.
Provide a community space open to the entire neighborhood. For example, don't wall off green spaces or courtyards, or at least keep the gate open during the day.
Devise a way to store bikes so that it’s easier for people to access their bikes than car. This will encourage more people to bike and discourage car use.
Use your green space as a community garden or establish a community garden in a vacant lot.
Contact the condo boards of the other condo buildings on the street to discuss issues common to everyone, like improved street cleaning and parkway improvements; form an organization or encourage the various condo boards to get active in the neighborhood associations that already exist.
Organize street games with other buildings.
Stop by and talk to owners who are not as active in the building and encourage them to get involved or try to get their ideas for improving the building.
Establish and use a building listserv. Send out information over e-mail to the full condo association every month, including financials, management updates and general announcements.
If your building has owners who are renting out their unit, reach out to both the absentee owners and renters to ensure that they feel invested in the building and neighborhood.
Invite an officer from your local police precinct to a condo board meeting, and keep fostering that personal relationship.

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