On September 27, 2017, I attended the CAI Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C., along with approximately 50 other CAI Members from across the Country. At the Summit, CAI representatives met with various politicians and/or their Legislative Correspondents to address three issues that affect our communities at the federal level.
It was a very interesting and exciting day. I was grouped with a few other local CAI Members.We were assigned to meet with Senators Benjamin Cardin and Chris Van Hollen. In addition, I met personally with Representative John Sarbanes’ office as well.
We were supporting House Bill 3283 which allows community associations to be eligible for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Much to our surprise, FEMA does not currently provide assistance to community associations while those not living in a community association are eligible despite the fact that everyone pays the same taxes.
We were also advocating for the preservation of funding for community association projects in general and to protect the “priority lien” statutes that exist in Maryland, DC, and over 20 other states. This protection is necessary as the banks are now trying to attack the same at the federal level.
Finally, we were advocating for the Amateur Radio Parity Act and to permit community associations to be able to require approval prior to installation and to be permitted to adopt reasonable rules and regulations regarding the aesthetics and location for placement of a radio tower or antenna.
Feel free to reach out to your local politician and seek their support for these causes.