Aloha and happy holidays! As we embrace the beauty of December 2023 on the westside, we extend a warm welcome to both new and longtime residents. This month’s newsletter is filled with updates and valuable information that we hope will enhance your experience here in our vibrant community. Mahalo for being part of the MVP family!
Water Conservation
As we all know costs at MVP have gone up this year. Under common water we are setting aside $231,646 and for common sewer we are setting aside $509,472. As of September of 2023 we have spent $180,650 for common water and we have already spent $371,110 for common sewer. None of us are happy about passing those on to owners so conserving water could reduce this amount significantly and would be environmentally friendly.
Here are some tips for conserving water:
- If you are leaving your unit for more that a week turn off your water valves. I know a few people who returned to their units to find a slow leak in their toilet water tank. Aside from the danger of causing damage to your, or others’ unit, this can add up. A dripping faucet can use 2 to 20 gallons of water per day, which could add up to 60 to 600 gallons per month. With a large complex like ours you can imagine just how enormous that water wastage can be!
- Install low volume toilets. Toilets account for about 30 percent of a household’s water use. Standard toilets use about 7 gallons per flush, while low-flow toilets use about 1.6 gallons per flush – a great saving!
- Check for leaks. Sometimes these can go undetected if behind the wall. If you suspect, there is a leak please contact MVP office so that we can do an inspection.
There are many other ways to save water and if you have any additional ideas, we would love to hear about it!
An update to Cable Billing
In 2022 the cable bill was incorporated in the maintenance the reason being it provided only the require basic cable which consisted of about 20 channels. If you wanted the internet or additional programs, you had to pay for it separately. Out of maintenance we were paying around $49, a household a month. Most people who had added additional cable channels and the internet were paying over $100 per month outside the maintenance. When we negotiated the new contract, we got much a faster system so now we can stream channels you couldn’t before. The internet is included in the package and now we get over 100 channels to view. The cost went up to from $49.00 to $54.84 a month to the HOA which is less than $6.00 per household but for those that use the additional service was a cost saving of $50 or more.
Now for the more complicated matter. Most units are two bedrooms and one bath. But there are a handful of three-bedroom one bath and there are a couple of three bedroom one and a half baths townhouses. They have a slightly larger share of ownership in the complex. With that their share of the cost increases slightly in all the categories than say a two-bedroom unit.
Since the HOA is being charged a flat fee for every unit and not due to their size or number of bedrooms it was determined that a flat fee should be charged to all the units as well. To do that we had to separate the charge from the other expenses. That is why you see that in the upcoming maintenance fee. It may look like we are adding that much more to our maintenance, but we are taking out what we used to pay which turns out to be a small increase with much more benefits.
EV Survey
As part of the Solar PV project we are looking at options related to EV chargers, both in public stalls and helping owners install chargers at their parking stall. We first need to find out if our community is even interested in EVs or planning on buying an EV as that will help us understand what solution will best serve our community. Please take a moment and fill out this survey and let us know what you think: https://forms.gle/8QDoyGFC4RBhHtfd6
Heat Pumps and Solar Thermal Updates
We have been working closely with Heliodyne Solar Hot Water and PACE Supply Corp. on the solar thermal system and heat pumps. We provided them with current drawings of the wash houses, as this is where the current and future heat pumps and solar water systems will be located.
PACE will be conducting a site inspection to determine the placement of two additional water tanks and the current heat pumps. This inspection is scheduled to take place in the first week of December. After the inspection, PACE and Heliodyne will work together to design and prepare a quote for Hawaii Unified and MVP to review.
Update on the PV system
Holu Hou Energy is working with HECO to determine the capacity of the transformers in and around the MVP complex. These studies are necessary to determine if the existing transformers have sufficient capacity, or if additional capacity is needed. The results of these studies will also have a bearing on the batteries that will be used.
HECO has been slow in responding to request from Holu Hou Energy due to the numerous lawsuits from the Lahaina fire. Their engineering department has been overwhelmed with various studies to prove their stance in the cases. We hope to have all the information needed by the end of December. Will get an update from Holu Hou Energy in January.
As we conclude this newsletter, we’d like to express our heartfelt thanks for your continued support and engagement. Your participation and enthusiasm make our community truly special!
Wishing you a joyous holiday season filled with warmth, unity, and aloha spirit!
With gratitude,
The MVP Board of Directors