Have questions about the new Courthome Project Manager?  Before asking them in person at the upcoming meet-and-greet, PSMRA owners are encouraged to learn more and come to the event prepared to ask questions that go beyond the basics.

Saturday, June 3rd is the date set for PSMRA residents to meet our newly-hired Courthome Project Manager.  Mike LaMont will be introduced by the Board and FSR at the “Coffee and Conversation” gathering at Siesta Pool starting at 9:00 a.m.

Per the PSMRA Board, Mike’s job will be to expedite and oversee the many maintenance issues facing the Courthomes and to ensure projects are being bid and executed in the most timely and efficient manner with the most respect for the funds that are available.  

Your Advocacy Group would like you to enter this conversation opportunity armed with some questions that go beyond the basics, such as years and type of experience, so we have generated a list for you to consider.  

Before jumping to the list of questions, here is a quick word about the importance of knowing PSMRA CC&R 6.2.  A very pivotal issue for the Advocacy Group revolves around the manner in which the Project Manager, Mike, will be paid; specifically, which of the accounts, Courthome Exterior Maintenance Fund vs Common Area Account, will be debited to pay for his salary.  

It is our contention that payment for administration should not be made from the Courthome Exterior Maintenance Fund, as it is expressly outlined in CC&R 6.2 what that money should be used for, and administration is not included.  For that reason, you will see that some of the questions below address the payment structure.  We suggest that you open the CC&Rs and become familiar with the contents of 6.2 before the June 3rd event. It’s also a good idea to recall CC&R 6.2 as you examine financial documents in the future and during each Board Meeting as the finances are being reported.  

It will be of utmost importance that many eyes remain focused on the money!  Pay attention to which sub-accounts are being debited and for exactly what job.  Make sure you understand what is included in each sub-account so you can spot an error and can question that error.  

If you would appreciate some help in getting more familiar with understanding the financial spreadsheets, reach out to the Advocacy Group and we can help.  

Now, on to the questions you may want to ask…

Prioritization and Concurrence:  

  • Considering the number of needs facing the courthomes, how will these needs be prioritized?  
  • Will prioritization be based solely on the length of time the needs have been neglected or will other factors, such as health and safety, be more important? 
  • Will you be able to manage multiple projects at the same time, such as replacement of balconies in one area, stucco repair in another, and roof repair or replacement in yet another?

Identification, Organization and Accountability:

  • How will you approach this job?  How will you identify what needs to be done and how urgently it needs to be done?
  • Will you follow the Zone Map established years ago to identify the Courthome areas or do you have a plan for identifying areas that will be different from that?
  • With many projects being needed, what method will you use to keep track of what has been done, to inspect the quality of the work, and to keep up with warranty information?
  • How will you be logging your time so that residents can be assured your time is attached to a Courthome maintenance project as opposed to any other managerial tasks that do not relate directly to executing a maintenance project?  

CC&Rs:

  • Have you had the opportunity to become familiar with our CC&Rs?
  • What importance do you place on our CC&Rs for helping you make your decisions about projects?
  • How well do you know the contents of CC&R 6.2?

Familiarity with the Neighborhood:

  • How much time have you spent on the property, getting to know it, its nuances and its needs?
  • How much interaction have you had with the residents of the Courthomes and have you taken time to get to know them and how they feel about what is needed?
  • How well do you feel you understand the delineation between Courthome property and Common Area property?
  • How will you handle a project that may simultaneously involve both Courthome and Common Area needs and still remain true to your job description as Courthome Project Manager?

Reporting Structure and Communication:

  • Now that you are on board, will residents continue to report their maintenance needs by submitting online forms or will you institute any different methods for us to follow?
  • How available do you foresee making yourself to Courthome residents in order to learn about and discuss their needs, and does this plan extend beyond the initial push to get projects going?
  • To whom at FirstService do you report?
  • To whom on the PSMRA Board do you report, and how frequently?
  • What plans do you have in place for keeping residents updated on progress within the Courthome property?
  • If an emergency situation occurs within a Courthome, for example a burst pipe in an exterior wall, what should the residents do to report this, particularly if it happens during non-business hours? Prior to your hire, the FirstService Emergency Number was the avenue for reporting, but this has proven to be an inefficient avenue.  Will you institute something more direct and timely to avoid the further damage that comes from a delayed system response? 

Project Approval:

  • Prior to your hire, certain projects could be accomplished autonomously based on level of emergency and cost of the project and did not need Board approval.  Will this continue to be the case for you and has the previous price point of $1500 per incident changed?
  • If larger projects still need Board approval before any money can be spent, how can the community expect to see the execution of projects be expedited in comparison to the speed of execution in the past?

Community Involvement:

  • How would you describe your vision of the relationship between yourself and the Courthome Advisory Committee?
  • How frequently can residents expect to see you here on the property and how do you see that change as projects get caught up?

Budgeting:

  • Do you anticipate you will be involved in the budget process with FSR and the Board when planning season begins?  And, if so, will you also be open to including in the discussions members of the Courthome Advisory Committee?

Planning:

  • Will you be taking on the task of developing a Matrix for ongoing maintenance projects for the Courthomes?  If so, do you anticipate that it will take 3-6 months to complete data collection and review, as has been the case in the past when the matrix was developed by the Courthome Advisory Committee?

Final questions to pose to the Board:

  • Is there a plan in place for a performance review at 6 months to determine the effectiveness of this new position in terms of expedited service and money savings on projects completed?
  • How will Mike’s performance be measured?
  • Is this position on a year-to-year contract or is it one that can only be terminated with cause once the position has been filled?

As you can see from the extensive list of suggested questions, there is much to consider with regards to this new position.  It will be in the best interest of the community for as many people as possible to become familiar with not only what is being asked, but why the questions are being asked.  All the questions represent concerns that are founded in the desire the Advocacy Group has for all matters of management to follow our governing documents and to foster community engagement.  We believe a community approach is the best avenue to transparency in the management of the money in the Association accounts that are paid by each of us. With your help, this community can achieve goals of transparency in governance and unity in spirit.