By Jason Helzer
Leadership consultant and retired Navy Seal Officer Jocko Willink, Author of the New York Times’ best-selling book “Extreme Ownership” advocates for a principle he states as “Discipline Equals Freedom.” This concept emphasizes that by developing self-discipline and adhering to a set of structured behaviors, individuals can achieve greater freedom and success in their lives. This principle also holds very true for Associations when they implement a preventative maintenance program to address the needs of the property, systems, and buildings in their communities.
Preventative maintenance is a proactive approach to keeping equipment, facilities, and buildings in good working order. By implementing such a plan, Boards can help ensure that their property is maintained in good condition, reducing the chances for expensive, extensive and inconvenient repairs.
It’s not hard to see the many scenarios where Associations - be that Condominium, Townhouse, High Rise or Single Family – greatly benefit from a disciplined approach of evaluating all of the various items that they have the responsibility for as outlined in their governing documents. Starting with a review of the Association’s reserve study is a great way to begin to make a list of all the areas that the Board should be considering.
Once that list is complete, the Board should then work with their trusted vendors to identify what a comprehensive maintenance plan would entail and start prioritizing and performing that work. This could be as simple as taking a look at the fence around the community and deciding if it needs a new coat of stain, to having the drain piping in the building scoped and jetted to prevent backups and the costly damage a backup can cause.
Below is a list of just a few of the various items that a Board should consider when looking at implementing a preventive maintenance plan.
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Single Family
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Townhome
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Condo
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High Rise
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Concrete/Asphalt
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Roof
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Roof
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Roof
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Fencing
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Siding
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Siding
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Decks
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Irrigation
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Decks
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Decks
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Windows
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Playground
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Concrete/Asphalt
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Mechanicals
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Elevators/Mech
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Fire Safety
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Fire Safety
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Garage
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Also, by creating and following a preventive maintenance plan, the Association is better equipped to budget more accurately for the year. Even when the time does come that something is at the end of its useful life and it needs to be replaced rather than maintained, having the discipline to follow the plan will give the Board much greater visibility of that issue sooner, and make it easier to prepare for the expense when the time comes. This may mean that there are smaller, incremental increases in annual assessments along the way, but those are vastly preferable to large unexpected special assessments that many homeowners have a hard time accommodating, especially in these uncertain financial times.
Additionally, by taking this proactive approach, Boards are able to much more effectively perform their primary fiduciary responsibility, which is to maintain and enhance the value of the properties in the Association. It goes without saying that it is easy to tell a well-maintained property just by looking at it. The care and attention are obvious.
