With snow on the horizon, it’s only natural that your HOA management team wants to do everything preemptive it can to make sure the neighborhood weathers it well. That means adjusting landscaping, sealing concrete, and double-checking your current contract with your snow plow vendor to make sure it’s up to snuff.
While it’s unlikely that your contract will change since last year unless you’ve signed something new, reviewing it now helps to make sure that your vendor can give you the service your HOA needs to stay safe and stave off being snowed in.
Gassen, your Eden Prairie provider of property management services, is here to help you review your snow plow contract and keep your community thriving this winter.
Does the Overall Cost Check Out?
Your accounting property management needs will fluctuate from year to year, so it’s paramount to review your contractor’s rates to be sure you’ll be able to afford them. While it’s impossible to predict how much snow you’ll get, using financial records from years past and previous weather reports can help.
Some snow contracts charge by the visit, and others use an hourly rate, so the volatility of cost can vary. If you’re considering swapping contractors, you’ll need to ensure your current one doesn’t have a termination fee. (Or if they do, ensure that you can pay for it.)
Use our list of preferred vendors to help you find the right snow plow contractor for your community.
How Frequently Will Your Snow Plow Contractor Plow?
Confirm with your snow plow vendor when they will be coming to plow your streets as it snows this winter. Will they come within 24 hours after a snow shower, or only if it snows more than an inch? Do they provide on-call service when needed or make multiple trips through a neighborhood to ensure a thorough clearing?
Inform your residents of the snow plow schedule and encourage them to move vehicles out of parking areas or off the street when it snows or when the snow removal vendors will be coming through.
Do New Amenities Need to Be Plowed?
If your HOA management team was lucky enough to implement new buildings or community areas, you’ll probably be responsible for having them plowed. Though what’s written in the regulations of course varies, generally the HOA is responsible for keeping community areas tidy. This includes sidewalks and parking lots.
If you need new amenities plowed, it’s important to reach out to your contractor and let them know well ahead of time so that the board can act in accordance with its own regulations.
Have You Considered Pre-Treating?
Even an inch of snow can be dangerous in an HOA, and keeping community members safe from falling on the ice is often part of a board’s legal responsibility, especially should injury occur.
Unfortunately, many snow plow services don’t come out until accumulation is significant, but some do provide pre-treatment options such as salting the roads. When used wisely and with environmental conscientiousness, such services can make your neighborhood a safer place to be in with little consequence.
They’re a great investment to ask about if you haven’t in previous years!
Choose Gassen for Streamlined Online Property Management
Ready to run a more organized, less stressed board this winter? Our team of property management services providers is here to help. Give our Eden Prairie office a call today at 952-922-5575.