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May 2015 — Property Management Quarterly —

Page 29

One new feature that is not marked on

the removal plan could make the dif-

ference between a property that is safe

and one that is open to risk when snow

or ice hits. Snowmanagement compa-

nies should create written plans for all

clients’ properties.These plans include

maps, backup strategies and policies

regarding client-specific requirements.

Just as spring and summer are work-

ing months for the snow companies, it

is also the time for property managers

to think about snow. Property manag-

ers must evaluate whether the plan

for the previous year worked as well

as it should have, whether there are

property risks that need to be alleviated

and whether they need to renegotiate

existing contracts or perform a vendor

search.

When it comes to planning for the

next year, here are four steps property

managers can take.

Performa post-seasonwalkthrough.

This is the physical walkthrough. It’s

important to bring along the previ-

ous year’s map with the high-priority

areas. As the manager walks through

the property, the map should either be

verified as accurate or corrected with

updated information. New sidewalks

should be marked, changes in parking

lots should be notated and high-priority

areas should be reviewed and verified.

This is also the time to address any

property damage incurred throughout

the course of the winter.

Post-season contractor evaluation.

This

is the time to go through the previ-

ous winter’s activities and determine

if the contractor met the contractual

obligations as required. Property man-

agers should ask if the contractor was

prepared, consistent and professional.

If not, then it is time to solicit new pro-

posals in order to find a vendor that is

a better fit.

This is also the time to make sure

the vendor choice is a proper fit and

meets the needs of the property owner.

Although some vendors may provide

the service as required, that doesn’t

mean those vendors are the best for

the property. Each vendor is unique and

the property owner should find the one

that provides the most benefits for the

residents or consumers of the property.

For the purposes of snow removal, the

goal of most property managers is to

find a vendor that can mobilize the

fleets quickly, respond to urgent needs,

keep the property safe and have a well-

trained crew that performs the duties

specified within the contract in a pro-

fessional manner.

Scope of work evaluation.

During

this phase the property manager

determines what type of work will

be required in the coming winter. For

example, if ice dams or roof snow

removal were not covered in the previ-

ous year’s work, it is probably a good

idea to add these into the contract for

the upcoming season. Each season

brings new lessons and during this

phase the lessons should be added to

the scope.

Contract evaluation.

In this stage the

property manager reviews the different

types of contracts available by the local

snowmitigation companies and picks

the one that best meets the defined

scope of work. Most mitigation com-

panies offer “per push” contracts, “per

event” contracts as well as “annual”

contracts. Understanding the difference

between these billing styles and their

unique advantages can help a property

manager meet budget requirements

while maintaining a high level of ser-

vice.

In the end, the property manager and

the snow and ice mitigation companies

have a lot to do during the hot summer

months. Not only do they have to think

about snow during 90-degree weather,

but also managers have to start pre-

paring for it. I would suggest taking a

fewminutes now to jot some notes

about your experience over the last six

months, then work your way through

the four steps.

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