By Jen Clancey DIGITAL PRODUCER
At a Thursday afternoon event where only about 35 people were expected to join, Jerome Tinianow, sustainability professional and proprietor of West Urban Sustainability, was excited to see almost 50 people associated with homeowners associations attend the April 4 Owners Association Sustainability Workshop in Big Sky.
In total, 13 HOAs in Big Sky were represented at the event which was organized by Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization and held at the Wilson Hotel. CAP Management, a Denver-based HOA management company, led the bulk of presentations and breakout groups in topics of sustainability education, and empowerment of HOAs to take the next sustainable step.
Gabrielle Fuerst, chief sustainability officer at CAP Management, gave a presentation where she acknowledged the challenges HOAs face organizationally and financially.
“First of all, we kind of had to recognize the pressures that HOA and property managers are under in sustainability,” Tinianow said on the phone with Explore Big Sky, describing some of the main objectives of the event. “If you’re operating minute by minute or hour by hour … it’s kind of hard to focus on the big issues of sustainability.”
After noting the obstacles, Fuerst discussed how committees within HOAs could alleviate some of the burden on property managers. By organizing a committee dedicated to shaping sustainability within the community, HOAs are empowered to create change on a larger scale, especially in an unincorporated area.
Fuerst then outlined pieces of low-hanging fruit that HOAs could build toward to eventually reach a sustainability certification system in the next five years.
Addressing homeowners concerns and cementing progress
“There’s a lot of … old wives tales and urban legends, and things like that about sustainability that aren’t really true anymore,” Tinianow said, reflecting on his presentation about energy efficiency in which he reviewed the efficiency of electric heat pumps over propane furnaces in homes.
“And part of the struggle is just bringing everyone up to date with the way technologies have changed and the way fuel costs have changed and things like that.”
A resounding concern Lizzie Peyton, director of community sustainability with SNO, heard from homeowners was the threat of wildfires. “The fire doesn’t know private property lines,” Peyton said. She discussed taking a more “synthesized approach” to sustainable and native plant landscaping across HOAs.
She also addressed waste management in a town that brings many visitors renting for short periods. According to the 2023 Big Sky Waste Composition Assessment , 35.3% of Big Sky garbage is made up of food waste, surpassing the National Environmental Protection Agency average of 21.6%.
“The messaging has to be consistent,” she said, noting food donation sites and describing a need for all people involved in home management to unite on similar goals.
“I thought there was a great collaboration between HOAs and property managers,” Peyton said. But Peyton acknowledges that there are some differences between vacation rentals and second homeowners and noted that every organization needs to be met at a different place depending on priorities and resources.
Main focus area discussed at the event can be divided into four categories: landscaping, waste and consumption, finance and governance, and energy efficiency. After organizers collect feedback from attendees, Big Sky SNO and Tinianow will create a resource guide based on these categories that homeowners can use.
Some questions came up that they hope to answer in the future, such as engaging renters in sustainability practices as well. But overall, Peyton noted this was a great start.
“The conversation was fantastic, robust and rewarding for everyone in that room” Peyton said.
Lastly, Peyton thanked The Wilson Hotel, Big Sky Resort Tax Area District and the Moonlight Community Foundation for sponsoring the workshop.
