Hot Tub Policy

Consensus: 14 Oct 2001

The TVC hot tub is a place where TVC members and their guests, can relax after a long day, soak aching muscles after a good workout, or hang out in a cozy, intimate setting. To make the hot tub enjoyable for everyone, the following guidelines and cautions were designed to balance the enjoyment of the hot tub, user access, health, safety, and the needs of the members whose units are close by.

USAGE POLICY

HOURS
Because the hot tub is near residential units, noise is a concern. Some TVCers work at home during the day and need quiet, and some TVCers need to be able to sleep at night and need quiet. If needed, Facilities Team may then investigate technical solutions for mitigating sound in this area. For the time being, following are the hours of use:

Monday through Thursday 8 am to 11 pm

Friday 8 am to 12 pm

Saturday 10 am to 12 pm

Sunday 10 am to 11 pm

As a general policy, we are asking that the noise level be kept low at all times.

The Hot Tub can be reserved for private use for limited times, according to guidelines to be set by the Hot Tub User Group.

WHO CAN USE THE HOT TUB?

(Consensus deferred for guest policy–this is the last, and generally agreed, draft)

All Members and Associate Members

Members and Associate Members may invite guests to use the hot tub, and must be present when their guests are using it.

Members and Associate Members are responsible for ensuring that their guests comply with all hot tub policies and understand the community guidelines and precautions.

ATTIRE

This policy seeks to meet the needs and preferences of all at Takoma Village who would like to enjoy the hot tub, in the most flexible way possible.

A two-sided signal on the outer hot tub wall will indicate whether the current usage is clothing page 2 of 2 optional or clothing-preferred. (One side will have a symbol for clothing optional; the other for clothing preferred.) This signal must be placed upon usage of the hot tub. When the hot tub is not in use, the signal will be stowed away in an agreed upon place.

If someone wishing to use the hot tub approaches and sees that the hot tub is being used in a manner not to her/his preference, she/he may request that the preference change in a half hour [by placing a second, agreed-upon signal where the current users can see it??]. They should then return a half hour later to use the hot tub according to their clothing preference.

When the hot tub is in use as clothing optional, people may soak in bathing suits, as well (if they don’t mind others who are clothing-optional.

Draft Membership Meeting Minutes of 30 Sep 2001. No quorum, to be rubber stamped in next meeting. Only draft of minutes was posted. Message #1213, 17 Oct 2001.

Draft  Membership Meeting Minutes of 14 Oct 2001. Message #1188, 14 Oct 2001. No final version posted.

Decision

1) No objections to the proposed change in language about Facilities
Team’s responsibility for investigating the abatement of noise, if
noise becomes a problem.
2) Will change the language throughout to have the people covered by
the policy be “members and associate members.”
3) We will consense today only on the usage policy (not on the waiver
question).

Stand asides

Ann Z. – Process and policy is sufficiently distressing over this
policy that she believes something is not being addressed; people have
different levels of comfort with security and safety and TVCHA need to
acknowledge this and we need to have community discussions about trust
and standing; she believes that we’re debating words when there are
actually substantive issues underlying the mere words.

Sharon V. – Words must be precise when it comes back to the next
business meeting.

Alicia – We had a real urge to get to consensus, and when there is this
level of urgency and concern we need to be very careful to slow down
the process and make sure that consensus creates not merely a decision
but mutual understanding among us.