As appeared in…
www.crej.com
NOVEMBER 2, 2011 – NOVEMBER 15, 2011
Snow: a PM’s four-letter word
S
now. It’s a four-letter
word that some property managers utter with
other four-letter words, especially if their snow removal
company isn’t quite up to par.
With the winter season upon
us, there are a number of things
property managers should be
aware of when it comes to
snow removal for their property during the months ahead.
And while “quick fixes” can
be accomplished – to contracts
that aren’t entirely to a property manager’s liking – it’s never
too early to be considering
ways to improve your snow
removal contracts and options
for next season.
n Snow tolerance levels.
Snow tolerance levels in a contract indicate how much snow
needs to fall before a snow
removal company comes to a
property to begin plowing the
parking lots and shoveling the
sidewalks. Some properties
have a zero tolerance level, and
ask that contractors be on site
with the first sign of snowfall,
while others will place the tolerance level as high as 4 inches
of snowfall. The standard for
most properties is for 1 to 2
inches of snow to fall before
the contractor must arrive on
site. It’s important for property
managers to know what the
snow tolerance level of their
contract is, and if it is truly
suitable for their tenants or
customers.
Likewise, a property manager
needs to understand that if he
has a high snow tolerance level
(of 3 inches or more), the risk
of ice buildup increases. People
who walk and drive through
the higher snowfall levels will
naturally pack down the snow,
and turn it
into a hard,
icy surface,
making it difficult to plow
and remove.
In fact, the
ice buildup
can become
so challenging during
Carlos Medrano cold stretches
Vice president of
that costly
operations, CoCal
ice scrapers
Landscape, Aurora
will need to
be brought
in The higher price associated
with a lower snow tolerance
level (of 0 to 1 inch) is well
worth eliminating the liability and risk associated with a
higher snow removal trigger
point.
n Insurance requirements.
All property managers have
insurance
requirements
that dictate the work of the
snow removal contractor. It’s
imperative for a manager to
completely understand these
requirements and make sure
their contractor understands
the insurance requirements as
well. One of the common mistakes that is made is when
a prime contractor uses subcontractors for snow removal
work. The subcontractors may
not meet the requirements of
the insurance company, meaning that the property owner
will be left holding the bag for
damage to parking lots, curbs,
sidewalks, etc., that has been
created by the sub.
When hiring a new contractor, and to avoid liability,
the property manager should
inspect the property for any
damage that may have been
created by the previous con-
tractor and make sure that any
damage has been repaired.
Most contracting companies
will inspect the property with
the manager to identify any
damage or potential problems.
These inspections will help to
save a lot of time and money
down the road.
n Equipment. Size, speed
and manpower are the three
things to keep in mind when it
comes to snow removal equipment. And what might seem to
be the most cost-effective solution may not always be the best
approach (for example, a single all-terrain vehicle can clear
sidewalks and entrances in less
time, and at less expense, than
a team of 20 men with snow
shovels). A reputable contractor will be able to provide the
exact snow removal equipment
your property may need – at
a moment’s notice – whether
it’s large snow scrapers and
plows, box pushers (with rubber blades), heavy brushes,
front-end loaders and the necessary manpower to eliminate
your snow concerns, and do so
in a safe and careful manner.
A knowledgeable team also
will be able to advise you on
the most cost-effective and fastest way to remove snow from a
property, and where to stage
excess snow so it melts and
drains rapidly, without affecting your property’s heavy traffic areas.
With the proper planning,
and appropriate snow removal plan in place, a property
manager can enjoy a cup of
hot chocolate during the next
snowfall rather than curse his
way through another storm.s