Spring Maintenance Planning for Your Community
With the popping of the first crocus and daffodil and sighting of the first robin, everyone's thoughts turn to this special time of year. This is particularly true after the severe winter we experienced this year with record snow falls and concerns over collapsing roofs. While a great time of year, from a property management perspective, the transition from winter to spring season is always the most challenging. This is due in part to the high level of activity that spring brings and the desire by everyone to have all spring activity completed right away.
Everyone is anxious for the clean up of winter debris, the repair of snow plow damage, the assessment and repair of winter damage to building exteriors, the edging and mulching of the plant beds, as well as other spring enhancements to be completed immediately. Unfortunately, even under the best of circumstances, this transition often takes more time than we would like. Many landscape contracts include completion dates for the spring enhancements. It helps if the Property Manager and the Board collectively plan and present a reasonable and practical expectation to the community and to the contractors as well.
An effective "Spring Maintenance Activity Calendar" helps to avoid crisis-oriented activity, budget overruns and building grounds that appear "tired or run-down". As part of the planning and communicating expectations to homeowners, we encourage communities to have a "Spring Maintenance Activity Calendar" for the Board as well as a spring reminder communication to the homeowners. Many of the items on your "Spring Maintenance Activity Calendar" can be included in your communication to the residents.
Below is a comprehensive list of items to consider addressing during Spring as part of an overall, ongoing, rountine and preventative maintenance plan for a community (not all of these items are applicable to all communities):
Sample - Spring Maintenance Activity Calendar
Landscaped Areas
Building Exterior & Common Areas
Recreation Facility / Community Service Facility / Building Interiors
Safety/General
* To see a Sample Maintenance Activity Calendar for all four (4) seasons (click here)
Some other things to consider as a board member at this time of year:
1. If you are satisfied with the snow removal services and the contractor's costs, it is often prudent to sign them up again for the next season right now. This avoids them taking on other work and locks you into a contractor you know and are satisfied with to take care of the snow removal.
2. With the existing economic climate, many of our communities have renegotiated and extended long-term contracts such as refuse hauling, landscape and snow removal, exterminating etc. Many boards have approached their contractors offering extensions of 2 to 5 years in exchange for nominal or no increases during the renegotiated extension.
3. For those communities that have your annual meetings in May or June, do not forget to prepare for those by establishing the terms of Directors, incumbent's intentions of staying involved and any process of looking for replacements to fill vacancies. It saves the hectic process of trying to find a director at the last minute.
4. Take advantage of doing the Spring walk-through with your Manager. It's a great way to see the entire property and the issues your constituents raise and understand the challenges and related expenses ahead of you for spring and summer preparations and projects.
Again, we firmly believe that good communication is essential all year round but of particular importance during the transition to the spring and establishing a reasonable expectation level.
Happy Spring! Now go out and enjoy the beauty Mother Nature provides us.
Thank you for reading the Imagineers Board Newsletter. If you have any question or need any additional information on any articles provided in this newsletter, please contact us at 1-800-560-7268.
Imagineers LLCEmail: Gpassacantando@imagineersllc.com
Phone: 1-800-560-7268
Fax: 860-236-3951
Web: http://www.imagineersllc.com
