April 2016

MANAGEMENT TRENDS

Managing Community Amenities By Chuck Graziano, CPM, PCAM

A rguably, one of the most important factors in making a community attractive to homeowners or prospective home purchasers (future community members), is the amenities offered within the community. In fact, amenities are the second most important factor next to curb appeal. That’s a major factor for developers when planning a community. The challenge for managers is the maintenance of these facilities once constructed and in use. They can be the source of hours of enjoyment by community members while at the same time providing a significant liability exposure. Let’s take a look at some of the more common amenities offered in our community associations. Likely the first thing to come to a manager’s mind when thinking “amenities” is the community pool. While the swimming season in New Jersey is relatively short, the pool is the source of a significant expense for lifeguard time, chemicals, equipment and maintenance. Hiring the best qualified pool company is a good start, but continued inspection of all pool components involves not just the pool company, but also the manager and members of the com- munity (e.g. pool committee). Early pre-season checks of the pool deck for cracks and tripping hazards is critical, just as compliance with state and local codes and standards. In-season checks of operating (filtration) equipment, pool hardware, tables and chairs, fencing, lighting and so forth should be routine so that any wear and tear can be discov- ered and corrected before an incident occurs and before components become unusable or unsightly. Water quality and lifeguard coverage are also major concerns. With regard to water quality, someone outside the pool com- pany should be checking the logs for water testing to be sure they’re accurate and complete. Lifeguarding can be an exceptionally difficult job. Sitting in a chair for extended periods of time watching the water is no easy task, and yet

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“Likely the first thing to come to a manager’s mind when thinking ‘amenities’ is the community pool.”

that’s their job. And it’s a job from which one can become easily distracted from! Checking to insure consistent atten- tion throughout the day and throughout the season requires a team effort at all levels. Other outside amenities such as basketball, tennis and playgrounds also require continual inspection and mainte- nance to insure the proper useable condition of everything from the surface (just a very small offset at a surface crack can create a tripping hazard) to the tennis (or basketball) posts and nets to playground equipment. Experience demonstrates that playground equipment is particularly vulnerable to wear and tear (as well as occasional vandal- ism or abuse). For whatever reason, big kids like to swing on equipment intended for toddlers! A routine schedule of inspection is required to insure the usability and safety of all equipment. Checking for loose fasteners, worn equipment components may take more time than doing an “eyeball check from 50 meters away”, but spending the time neces- sary help insure the continued and safe use of equipment. CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 65

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