As the warm weather spreads out over Minnesota, it’s common to get a little bit of spring fever, especially if you’re a kid! Springtime means longer days, more time to play outside with friends, and generally more room to run. Your HOA is bound to see an uptick in your youth resident’s outdoor activities as April rolls around.
However, this also means that the adults in your community need to take steps to keep these children safe. Minors are residents of your community too, and they deserve to enjoy your amenities and safe neighborhood environment just as much as older residents. But how do you, as conscientious HOA management, create safety rules for a demographic as capricious as children? For example, the board can’t control when a young child might run into the street unsupervised. That’s up to the parents to teach them what they should and shouldn’t do, but not even they can control their kids at all times. As a board, what kind of rules and regulations might you be able to plan for unplannable occasions?
Gassen, a provider of property management services, is here to help. Below, we’ll suggest a few actionable items that your community can take to help your children enjoy the warmer weather of spring safely.
All Communities are Individuals
Don’t be afraid to brainstorm rules at open meetings! Only your community can determine regulations that are right for it. For example, ideas that mostly apply to young children (IE, no using the community playground without adult supervision) might not apply to communities that house mostly teenagers and their families, as these teenagers might not use the playground in the first place. An individualized approach that addresses specific problems is always what’s best.
That said, here are a few ideas that can help all sorts of communities with children:
● Enforce speed limits | As kids stay out later playing, unruly drivers become more of a hazard to them. Clarifying how fast your residents are allowed to drive is definitely a helpful safety measure, especially if your community has teenage residents who are just learning the ropes.
● Remind everyone that children might be out later playing | Sometimes, this is enough to minimize or eliminate auto-related accidents.
● Consider landscaping to minimize crime | Planting bushes or dense shrubbery can make it easy for assailants to hide out, and children are easy targets. Consider more open landscaping plans this spring, especially if your community has historically dealt with crime issues.
Gassen is Here to Help Your Community Sparkle
From online property management to accounting property management, we’ll give your community all the tools it needs to rise above the rest. Give our Eden Prairie office a call at 952-922-5575.