Repair List Management

Here is the text of an email I just sent to our property management (Taylor Smith) and charge house leadership. It attempts to improve communications between the repair contractor, the actives in the house, and the BA board.  Here is my run at our new policy on the repair list. 

TO: Taylor Smith, John Niehues, Scott Lynch

Email (4/28/09)

Repair Tracking Procedures:

We have a google doc 'TDX Project Tracking' to use as a communications and tracking tool for the charge house. It is a way to update all involved parties and to empower men in the house to understand the repair costs and to hopefully reduce repair costs. If the undergrads clean and repair things, the outside contractor will not charge your deposits.

Click on this link:
 http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pivq3iEKdEOnnVPpNyZD0LA&hl=en

Willful damage. If we need to hire someone to clear out an obstructed closet, we may charge the whole undergrad resident group. If something is damaged, undergrads should tell us who did the damage so that guy can pay. If the culprit is unknown, and the damage is clearly by a bro or a guest, then we need to charge all of you. It's like with the pledge class: if one does it--you all did it. The BA board can review charges for things if the actives object, but in general the residents of the house are responsible for keeping it up and paying for damage. We will try to be reasonable. Communication is the key.

Other non-damage repair costs are not going to be charged to the residents.  

Also, we can use the list to prioritize projects.

A separate list should be made for Capital Projects, like the fire alarm, the hut courtyard, etc.

The Point: I’d like to set the following procedures:
1) No repair or cleanup service should be done by the contractor unless it has been put on the repair list in advance, for adequate review. Mike P. and others should work off the approved list. (Emergencies not withstanding).

2) Actives who want to be involved in the repair cycle should check the list and ask questions, and give input if you you have an issue. Only the house President or the House Manager (or Summer House Manager) should be involved. Other actives should go through the house chain-of-command. I think we should work through Taylor as the point of communication. Send Taylor an email.

3) The Issue Detail field should include initials of who put the item on the list, in addition to current stuff. We need to let more guys change the list. Right now I can not make changes.

4) We will work to stay within our budget. For now that means we stick to necessary projects, and put cosmetic things (like furniture stains) on lower priority.



Note to Actives/John N./ House Managers in the future;
You can save the bros money by doing repairs and ensuring clean & safe conditions persist. For example, hauling the furniture and crap out by yourselves saves us having a cleaning crew do it. Washing that paint off the walls and floor saved us paying somebody to do it.

With a management company on the payroll, the Board President and the House Manager don’t have to do all the repairs. But we can help reduce costs by managing things like power use, and managing people who are exceptionally messy or causing issues.