REACH wishes you all a Happy Fourth of July – where did June go?

We have a full schedule of classes for July, and there is at least one for everyone on your staff!

The “Risk” class in Grand Junction on July 11th is designed to teach staff how to recognize unnecessary risks on your property and then how to eliminate or reduce them. It’s a great class for managers and maintenance to attend together.
Your housekeeping staff probably doesn’t have many opportunities to go to classes and have a cup of coffee with their peers. The Art of Cleaning class on July 17th is designed to increase productivity, focuses on safety, and might even help with staff retention. Please note this is an afternoon class.
• The electricity training offered on July 25th is designed to help you cut down on electrical contractor expense. This is a chance for maintenance staff to take advantage of a “hands on” class covering electrical basics and safety standards.
• The July 29th Leasing class is designed to develop basic leasing skills and can also serve as a greater “refresher” course for the more experienced agent.
• Attention voucher processors! HUD has revised their implementation schedule for iMAX since our class brochure was printed. It is now 07/01/2008 – 10/10/2008 for software development and 10/13/2008 – 01/31/2009 for transition. PBCAs, TCAs and TRACS will discontinue accepting TRACS 202B and TRACSMAIL after January 31, 2009. Our July 31st class is your chance to learn the new system and be ready to submit error free vouchers by October.

JULY CLASSES:

Assessing and Minimizing Risk – Protecting your Investment
(full day)
Are you doing everything you can to protect your property from unnecessary risk? This comprehensive workshop encompasses minimizing risks to residents and staff, handling emergencies, liability and insurance. The class will help managers and maintenance staff assess potential dangerous situations on their properties, as well as help them develop safety plans that may be put into action quickly if an emergency occurs. Topics to be discussed include the manager’s role and responsibilities in addressing safety issues for staff, resident education and community involvement, OSHA standards and inspections, crime deterrence, natural disasters, technology emergencies and dealing with the media. Liability and insurance issues that will be covered include fire prevention and control, accident investigation guidelines for incident reporting and filing a claim, workers’ compensation and property insurance.

Date: Friday, July 11th
Time: Registration: 8:15 am Class: 8:30 am– 3:30 pm
Location: CHFA, 348 Main Street, Grand Junction
Instructor: Donna Lynch, IMA Risk Management Consultant, CSP
Who Should Come: Owners, management agents, site managers, and maintenance staff from all property types

The Cleaning Edge – The Art of Cleaning
(partial day)
Positively impact your property, productivity, and budget by developing safe effective cleaning policies and procedures. This workshop will cover written procedures that establish efficient consistent measurable guidelines and techniques that help reduce time and improve quality. Learn techniques to help reduce time and improve quality from the routine cleaning of common areas to “turning a unit”. We will also discuss OSHA standards that help protect cleaning staff. Make the most of your cleaning dollar while improving safety, curb appeal, resident and staff satisfaction.

Date: Thursday, July 17th
Time: Registration: 12:15 pm Class: 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: CHFA, 1981 Blake Street, Denver
Instructor: Jeff Boyd, Working Knowledge Resource, Inc.
Who Should Come: Housekeepers, maintenance staff, and supervisors of cleaning staff from all property types

Electricity – Getting Wired Safely!
(partial day)
This workshop will cover the basics of electricity such as sources, properties, and dangers. Topics will include amperage, voltage, conductors, transformers, breakers, circuit breakers and switches. Work stations will provide opportunities to perform various hand-on tasks, such as how to wire a variety of switches (three way, four way, single pole) and how to properly wire a GFCI. Learn how to calculate a basic lighting load and determine how many lights can be put on a 15 or 20 amp breaker. Identify the most common causes of injuries when working with electricity and the safety standards that should always be observed. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from a master electrician and maintenance supervisor.

Date: Friday, July 25th
Time: Registration: 8:45 am Class: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon
Location: CHFA, 1981 Blake Street, Denver
Instructors: Dan Heguy and Mike Goddard, Denver Housing Authority
Who Should Come: Staff responsible for installing, inspecting, or repairing electrical equipment of all property types

Basic Skills for Successful Leasing
(partial day)
This workshop will take you through the entire leasing process. Specific topics will include phone presentation, making the appointment, touring, product knowledge, and presentation/marketing tools. Effective techniques for “closing the deal” will also be discussed. The class is designed for the novice with limited leasing experience, but will also serve as a wonderful refresher course for the more experienced leasing agent. Gain the basic knowledge and skills necessary to become a top leasing professional in your market. Heather has over ten years experience in the many facets of on-site property management and troubleshooter. She is a certified trainer for the National Apartment Association.

Date: Tuesday, July 29th
Time: Registration: 8:15 am Class: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: CHFA, 1981 Blake Street, Denver
Instructor: Heather Tewahade
Who Should Come: Leasing staff from all property types

Goodbye TRACS, Hello iMAX
(partial day)
Did you know that TRACSMail is going away and is going to be replaced by something called iMAX? Also TRACS version 202B is being replaced with 202C to incorporate the changes from Change 2 to the HUD Handbook 4350.3. The new iMAX (integrated Multifamily Access eXchange) system will be web based. The transition to iMAX 202C begins August 8, 2008 and you must be submitting vouchers and tenant data in the new version by November 21, 2008. This workshop will explain iMAX202C changes and what this means to you. Learn how to submit error free vouchers, and in the event that you do have an error, learn how to correct it.

Date: Thursday, July 31st
Time: Registration: 8:45 am Class: 9:00 am – 11:30 am
Location: CHFA, 1981 Blake Street, Denver
Instructors: Yvonne Gonzales, Diane Matthews, Arlene Gines
Who should come: All project based Section 8 staff responsible for submitting vouchers and tenant information

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!