CA Wants Raises, More Planners But No Towels

CA's proposed budget would cut proposed merit raises from 3 to 2 percent and cut the bonus pool in half, and it would create a "service bureau" of planners and consultants to oversee the community association's role in the redevelopment of downtown Columbia, according to this account on the ExploreHoward blog.

Towel service at the athletic clubs, though, was deemed too extravagant for these environmentally conscious times. The service would end Nov. 1.

According to Rafia Siddiqui, CA’s vice president of administrative services, CA uses 4.5 million gallons of water, 5,500 gallons of laundry detergent and 3,500 gallons of bleach annually to clean towels. Aside from CA’s desire to reduce chemicals that run into wastewater, cutting the towel service is estimated to save about $391,00 in the first year, and a cumulative $5 million over 10 years, she said.

"People do want this service,” Siddiqui said. “It’s very difficult to get rid of something they’ve had for years. But this is a different day. We are concerned about the environment and the amount of chemicals. We’re trying to be as green as possible.” ...

This environmental analysis confused us. If we didn't use CA's towels, wouldn't we use our own? And wouldn't we have to wash them at some point?