CAI-NJ Feb.2020(w)

DeferredMaintenance Checklist By: Kari Valentine, CMCA, AMS, Associated Energy

Deferred maintenance can be a tricky thing to grasp without some guidance. Deferred maintenance refers to those items that need to be maintained regularly, but not annually. They are things that need to be addressed, typically, between every two to five years. Also, they are either not listed in the reserve study, like valves, or are things not replaced but have a high maintenance cost associated with them. Often because of that higher price, these items don’t get attended to as needed. Before deciding what items should be on your deferred maintenance list, it is wise to consult with the association’s accountant and hire a qualified Reserve Specialist. The accountant will tell you how best to fund this account and may even be able to provide a beginning checklist based on their other clients. The reserve specialist will put together a list of items with a schedule (like your reserve study). You will also want to review the association’s history for infrequent maintenance items to determine if they should be on the list. Compare your reserve study, new deferred maintenance list from reserve study specialist, and the history of those infrequent maintenance items to determine if anything was missed. Once you have all your components, with costs and a maintenance schedule, enlist the association’s attorney to create a policy that outlines each of those items for the board to approve. The policy will assist future boards in keeping the community running smoothly. Below are components that will get you started. Valves Valves are costly and catch us off-guard when they go. These are things that would greatly benefit from going onto a maintenance/replacement schedule as they typically aren’t in the reserve study o Meter Pit o Backflow o Pool

1 2 Fire suppressant system

3

Clubhouse/condo building and/or window and power washing

The things themselves aren’t particularly costly, but the labor can be o Scutcheons o sprinkler heads

4

5

6

Pond Maintenance o Invasive/unwanted Aquatic plant life removal

Plant/tree rejuvenation

Aeration/ overseeding

7 Building 10 Landscape numbers/ identifiers

8 Seal coating/rejuvenation/crack-fill This is not a reserved item although many use those funds for this maintenance. By doing so, you are shorting the fund for asphalt replacement

9 Street signs

Older communities experience this issue more than the newer ones. They have overgrown shrubs and trees. Dead or areas where trees and shrubs were and aren’t due to budget constraints leaving a gaping hole o Trees trimming/removal/replacement o Plant rejuvenation

11

12

13

Meter Pits o Line flushing

Court Maintenance Resurfacing and painting courts are typically not reserve items

Line Striping Parking lots, road, and stop striping

o Box maintenance/ replacement

14 Pools

Several things are costly in pool maintenance but that can be budgeted for with a deferred maintenance policy o Pool furniture maintenance – strapping replaced, tables painted

Interested in writing for the ‘Do One Thing Better’ section of Community Trends® ? Contact Brooke Stoppiello-Nevins at brooke@cainj.org for more information.

o Pool resurfacing o Pool acid wash