Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1470856
ASK A COMMUNITY MANAGER Q How Can Boards Prepare for Inclement Weather or Natural Disasters? Expert emergency advice. From hurricanes and tornadoes to thunderstorms and flash floods, summer is the season for severe weather events. While we hope your days are full of clear skies and you never face a disaster, it's smart for your community to prepare for the possibility of a crisis, so you aren't scrambling if one strikes. To encourage your community to make preparedness a priority, we asked Jesse Dubuque, CMCA®, and accounting specialist Kris Maas, CMCA®, for some advice. They have experience preparing for and rebuilding after emergencies, and shared their tips to help boards ready their communities for destructive weather conditions. A "When inclement weather or natural disasters strike, fostering a safe and secure environment should be top of mind. While the association isn't directly responsible for safety, there are many things leaders can do to prepare for a disaster, including: • Develop safety plans. Being proactive is key to disaster preparedness, and all communities should have comprehensive action plans and safety measures in place. For example, if your neighborhood has a pool, proactively create closure procedures for bad weather. If you live in a condo, proactively install safety maps in the hallways and floor lighting for guidance in the event of a fire. • Establish relationships with trustworthy contractors. Stress levels are high in emergency situations, and leaders may not have time to find and properly vet contractors for needed repairs. That's why it's important to have previously established partnerships with qualified and reliable vendors. When board members have vendors they can count on, it relieves tension and makes the restoration process smoother. • Set a contingency budget. Not every emergency-related expense will be covered by insurance. Having a contingency budget to cover unexpected costs is crucial, as an already maxed-out budget can negatively impact the association. In one instance, a community experienced a hailstorm, and tree clean-up wasn't part of the hail damage insurance claim. Unfortunately, the work was deemed an operating expense, and it cost the association a lot of money. • Communicate. Amid a disaster, residents will have questions, and they'll be looking to the board for answers. To address this, the board should designate official communication channels before an emergency, and use them to regularly share details and information during an emergency. After an emergency, the board must schedule a town hall with project managers, insurance agents, and contractors to discuss concerns and explain how insurance policies, deductibles, loss assessments, and payment schedules work. Moving forward, it's advised that the board maintain ongoing communication as decisions are made." Jesse Dubuque is a General Manager for Associa Minnesota and oversees a large master-planned community. He works tirelessly to provide superior communication and customer service to his clients. Jesse has been a licensed Realtor® in the state of Minnesota since 1999 and has been a valued Associa Minnesota team member since 2008. He has achieved the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) and Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) designations. Kris Maas is an Accounting Specialist for Associa Minnesota. She achieved her Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) designation in 2016 and has been a valued Associa Minnesota team member since 2014. 33