2021-08-26
Community Associations play a vital role in maintaining community. Trestle utilizes detailed work order and proposal procedures, a comprehensive vendor selection process, and its in-house maintenance team, Northwest Maintenance Services, to meet the needs of its Client Associations. As Associations serve to create a community for Homeowners, Trestle’s talented Team can ensure Board Members adhere to their responsibilities in preserving an appealing aesthetic, creating a sense of community, and helping Homeowners retain and increase their home values.
The Role of the Board of Directors
As a corporation, the Association is run by a Board of Directors. Oftentimes, the Board consists of elected members from the community, though some governing documents allow non-Homeowners to run for Board positions. Additionally, communities under development may temporarily have builder representatives on the Board while the community continues to be built.
The Board of Directors’ responsibilities are outlined in the community’s governing documents and often include the administration of the Association. Board Members are tasked with meeting the Association’s legal requirements outlined in Washington State law and the Association’s governing documents. These requirements include maintenance of elements as defined in the documents. While each community is different, an Association is often responsible for the maintenance of common elements, which are item accessible to most, if not all, Homeowners. This would include items such as a monument sign, playground, lobby, and park.
An Association may also be responsible for the maintenance of limited common elements, which generally include items used by one or more Homeowners and are often visible to the community. Though the Association may have the ability to seek reimbursement from affected Homeowners for these maintenance expenses.
Trestle’s Work Order and Proposal Procedures
Concentrating solely on community management services has allowed Trestle to understand the specific needs of Washington’s various types of common interest ownership associations and in response, design meticulous processes best suited for each. With an emphasis on transparency, consistency and accuracy, Trestle has created a robust catalog of internal procedures that have been automated with industry leading technologies. These mature processes result in the positive and consistently reliable experience Trestle’s Clients have grown to expect from the firm.
In order to protect its Client Associations and ensure consistency when issuing multiple proposal requests for Board review, Trestle has prepared an exhaustive catalog of statements of work. Each is project-specific and includes thoroughly outlined specifications. These statements of work can be amended by Trestle’s Community Association Managers to meet the unique needs of each community while still retaining standard language and legal protections. Similarly, Trestle has prepared a detailed work order request form for its Team’s use.
Through the use of these thorough forms, Trestle’s Team can ensure that each vendor receives consistent information. This approach is particularly helpful when a community is requesting multiple proposals from multiple vendors as it ensures each vendor receives an identical request. Further, through integration into Trestle’s My-Community Web Portal, Board Members are able to review and monitor all maintenance items, including pending proposal requests and in-progress work orders. Homeowners are able to review open maintenance projects linked to their home or a shared common area.
“Board Members and Homeowners can have a difficult time seeing progression and status of their maintenance requests because there may not be an easy vehicle outside of emails and phone calls to their assigned Community Association Manager,” said Bob Brencic, CMCA, AMS, MBA, President of Trestle Community Management. “Trestle’s processes are integrated into our My-Community Web Portal and uniquely provide maximum transparency and communication on the progress, actions and efforts an association’s Community Association Manager is taking on their behalf. No other firm in the Puget Sound Area has the level of transparency we are delivering.”
Selecting Reliable Vendors
As Boards are tasked with administering the Association, they must balance several different interests. In addition to maintaining a balanced budget, the Board must also use reputable vendors to protect their communities and avoid potential liability. Through the use of its work order and proposal request forms, Trestle ensures that the vendors contacted meet the legal requirement of being licensed and insured in the State of Washington.
Trestle’s Team continuously collaborates and advises each other. These efforts, in addition to the detailed Business Partner Directory provided by the Washington State Chapter of Community Associations Institute (WSCAI), helps Trestle locate and utilize trust-worthy, and fully vetted vendors for its Client Associations.
Working with Northwest Maintenance Services
Northwest Maintenance Services exclusively serves Trestle Clients. Through this partnership, Trestle’s Client Associations enjoy the ease of working with an accessible, talented, and professional maintenance team well-versed in navigating the interconnected relationship of Community Associations and their Homeowners.
The diligent effort of the Northwest Maintenance Services Team and their attention to detail helps Communities look and operate their best, preserving Homeowner quality of life and maintaining property values. The Team is prepared to meet a variety of needs including ongoing, recurring maintenance and janitorial services, large-scale project oversight, community-wide projects such as gutter clearing and roof cleaning, exterior and interior inspections, repairs and upgrades, water loss restoration, fire watch services, and much more.
Connecting with Trestle
In addition to Trestle’s updated website, the firm regularly connects on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Please contact Bob Brencic, CMCA, AMS, MBA, President of Trestle Community Management, at Bob@TrestleCM.com or (425) 454-6404 for additional details.
