CREJ - Property Management Quarterly - May 2015
The past winter was brutal form any parts of the country. Feet of snow fell in short periods of time for weeks on end, roofs caved in due to the weight of snow and ice, and big cities, like Boston and New York, simply shut down due to the overwhelming amount of snow. Here on the Front Range we experienced a winter closer to average. Nonetheless, everyone celebrates when spring comes. Even though many snow and ice management companies also celebrate the end of overwhelming demand and long work hours, the rest is short lived. Spring and summer are the times when snow mitigation companies perform a lot of work analyzing the previous year and preparing for the year ahead. Before discussing what you can do now to wrap up your snow season and begin the next season with strength, it’s important to understand exactly what snow and ice mitigation companies are and what they aren’t. Snow and ice mitigation companies are companies that specialize in every aspect of snow management. These companies are different from the typical landscape company that attaches a snowplow on the front end of a truck during the winter months. During the winter months, mitigation companies plow, de-ice, blow snow, and haul out or melt snow if necessary. In addition, they help manage your liability, keep your customers safe, and protect and build your brand. Hiring a snowplow means that your parking lot gets plowed. Hiring a mitigation company means that your sidewalks are shoveled and de-iced, entrances and exits are cleared correctly, the parking lot is plowed in the time allotted by law, and the snow piles are created in the correct spots. Mitigation companies specialize in helping the property manager reduce the risk of damage, falls, slips and trips. The biggest difference between the two types of companies is that a traditional snow removal company is reactive – they react to a specific need based on a weather event. Snow and ice mitigation companies not only react to the immediate need, but also are proactive in approach to the harsh winter environment and work with the property manager or owner to help identify and improve areas of risk. Traditional plowing companies don’t manage the “thaw and refreeze” issues faced in Colorado, while mitigation companies provide a more holistic service. Mitigation companies are the knowledge experts when it comes to snow and ice, performing the duties of snow removal during and after a snowstorm, and providing guidance and support to help protect your property from the destructive forces of snow and ice, as well as protecting your organization from costly and damaging litigation. During the spring and summer months, mitigation companies spend their time performing audits, conducting specialized training for personnel, maintaining and upgrading equipment, and redefining internal business processes. They also work with local clients to keep clients up to date on how to best keep the property safe. It is important to keep up with the latest snow and ice removal methods. In the past, some of the treatment methods would cause long-term damage to concrete and sidewalks. Newer treatment methods are available and mitigation companies should work with the property manager to find the best method of ice mitigation, which is one that provides less risk and damage. The summer months are the perfect time for equipment maintenance activities. January and February are the wrong months to realize that the brakes need to be fixed or that the hydraulic system needs a major overhaul. Preseason is also the time for proactive planning regarding ice-melt materials. The last few years the industry, and Colorado in particular, has experienced ice-melt shortages. A proactive service provider has plans and contingency plans regarding ice melt for sites. The companies work hard so they can go into autumn knowing they are ready for whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at them. Part of the summer process includes visiting clients to make sure that the entrances, exits, hydrants, loading docks, parking areas and walkways haven’t changed from the year before. One new feature that is not marked on the removal plan could make the difference between a property that is safe and one that is open to risk when snow or ice hits. Snow management companies 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 working months for the snow companies, it is also the time for property managers to think about snow. Property managers 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. Perform a post-season walkthrough. This is the physical walkthrough. It’s important to bring along the previous 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 previous winter’s activities and determine if the contractor met the contractual obligations as required. Property managers should ask if the contractor was prepared, consistent and professional. If not, then it is time to solicit new proposals 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 welltrained crew that performs the duties specified within the contract in a professional 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 previous 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 snow mitigation companies and picks the one that best meets the defined scope of work. Most mitigation companies 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 service. 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 preparing for it. I would suggest taking a few minutes now to jot some notes about your experience over the last six months, then work your way through the four steps.