by Rick Stryker
By itself, this month's metaphoric title may already have caused
some readers to turn the page because it suggests that the facility guy
is on a tirade about something we all know about but don't want
to discuss. Though I've hinted around it for all the years we've
been meeting like this, we've never really talked about it. This
month, we're going to take a short look at "deferred maintenance." For
anyone not familiar with the term, it's commonly used to explain
away all of the things that just don't seem to get done. It may
surprise you to know that the term has a very specific meaning outside
the camp arena. In the real estate property management industry, "deferred
maintenance" implies that sufficient operations and maintenance
(O&M) funds were budgeted, but were redirected to meet another emergency
or unforeseen issue with the physical plant. More and more often, camps
are using it to gloss over or perpetually postpone (or worse completely
ignore) needed repairs or replacement of capital items. These can be
minor or really serious. Take these, for example:
- Not mowing a ball field: If fuel for the tractor is a spot in
the budget to "find" money for an emergency elsewhere,
mow the ball field every 10 days or three weeks instead of weekly.
How long can you put that off or maintain that schedule, because you
can't
use the field when the grass is 10" deep. If it gets deeper yet,
does the tractor have enough horsepower to mow it at all? What do you
do then? You could call a local farmer to bring in a bailer, I suppose
. . .
- Not painting a water storage tank: True, it holds water even
when the paint is peeling. But if it looks bad on the outside, what do
you suppose it looks like on the inside? Before "deferring" that
tank sandblast, patch, and clean another year, why not look a little
deeper (inside, perhaps) and see if there aren't other issues
that you should tend to.
- Not mending a screen on a bunk: The bunk is certainly usable,
but do your guests find them as acceptable as insect-free space?
- Not patching potholes: More than an uneven walking or driving
surface (safety), those potholes that hold water are freezing and thawing
continually and are lifting the pavement or just making the road impassable.
- Not clearing culverts: When the road floods and washes out in
the spring, will you be able to get to the other side of camp?
Every camp has these troubles, but how in the world can you possibly
get your arms around them? The answer lies in brutally honest, thoughtful,
and deliberate planning followed by carrying out the plan.
Assess
Many of us over 40 have grudgingly come to admit that we're not
as young as we once were. Every year we're less surprised that
we have something new to think about at the dinner table, on the bathroom
scale, or in front of the dressing mirror. Like us, our facilities are
never as young as they used to be, even if built last year. And also
like us, they are entitled to a thorough physical every year. Among other
things, this includes a review of the records from the previous year
to put numbers to the operation and maintenance of that facility. How
much time did it take to mend this or that? What did it cost? This information
is captured throughout the year in the form of detailed time sheets and
cost tracking. (See Building Principles columns in the July/August 2005
and September/October 2006 issues of Camping Magazine.) With that before
you, you're in a much better position to ask the questions like, "What
will it cost next year?" and "How much longer will it last?" Did
we hear a repair man say even once, "You know, a little seasonal
maintenance would go a long way toward…"? But where the
situation has been patched over, not documented or ignored altogether,
it remains a difficult, frightening, and intangible specter to which
there are only more questions and no answers. Every building, utility
system, program area, and road deserves a detailed check and a written
report to describe what was found, what repairs will cost (today), and
an estimate of the repair costs if left to deteriorate. The complete
assessment is then assembled into a single document so that the effects
on the
offered programs can be evaluated.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of whether your
organization should use its own staff or hire someone to conduct the
inventory and assessment. There are benefits and dangers to either approach.
If you choose to hire a consultant, make certain that they understand
more than the nuts and bolts of what they're looking at. They need
to consider how and by whom the facility is used in order to prepare
a comprehensive, meaningful report. With a consultant, you have reason
to believe that they're using data, information, and methods that
will provide you as realistic a picture as they are able. If you decide
to conduct the assessment with camp staff, you should be fairly comfortable
that they understand the organization and the facility's mission
in meeting the program goals. At the same time, though, they may not
have all of the cost, regulatory, or construction information that will
provide a complete picture.
And while they may be a very competent jack-of-all-trades, they may
not have all the right skills or knowledge to put this important work
together.
It's important to mention that there is often an inclination to
dismiss the results as "over the top" or "unrealistic." But
like the routine blood work that's part of the annual physical,
sometimes we get answers that we don't like. Disliking the results
is completely different from ignoring them.
Prioritize
When the report is complete it's time to look at the individual
pieces and begin to prioritize the approach. This will be contentious
and complex because it's rare that your program or organization
will benefit from sorting the list by price (high to low OR low to high).
Here is where the management of the business and leadership of the organization
merge on their most meaningful level, because the budget is the most
fundamental place that they come together each year. The most important
outcome is that the organization is making pro-active and informed decisions
about the direction of the facilities for the coming years. The funds
available are combined with a realistic income projection and estimate
of time required will shape the undertakings for the coming months and
sometimes years.
More specifically, what does that look like? There are four basic issues
which should direct how these are prioritized. What they are and the
reasoning behind them follows in order (see table below).
Follow Through
For many organizations, this may seem to be the hardest part of the
process. Like the 500 calorie-a-day diet New Year's resolution,
you may be afraid of what tomorrow might bring. But unlike that optimistic,
spur of the moment, twelve-oh-one kiss and a promise, there is no new
sobering moment coming. You're already beyond that by having gathered
the data and realistically considered the impacts of each choice and
priority assignment. Now it is time to work the plan. Resolve to not
look back or second guess your decisions until next year when you're
going to go through the same process on the same facilities again. If
situations arise in the course of the year, you can absolutely defer
anything on the list, knowing what the impacts of your decision are.
When it comes right down to it, the facilities at camp are one risk
management nugget over which you have complete control. Why wait for
something else preventable to throw another wrinkle in the smooth operation
of camp? Sleep a little easier by taking charge of the property, planning
for, and sticking to the maintenance plan.
| Item |
|
Reason |
| Health, safety, and code compliance items. |
Obviously, the safety
of the staff and guests is paramount. The courts have repeatedly
upheld the property owner's responsibility to ensure that the
implied warranty of merchantability is met. For example, this means
that if you have a septic system, it is expected to operate in accordance
with all of the parameters set by the state. If you have a building
with a roof, it is assumed that the roof is adequately supported
by the walls and foundation. Failing to address these things first
and foremost will eventually bring a charge of negligence to camp's
door. |
| Items which will have adverse consequences
on the organization if left unattended. |
If your organization relies on and
touts waterfront activities as a primary draw for your guests, then
the waterfront should have and hold your attention. This is more
than the dock and beach, but should include all of the components
of the dam that make the water front program possible. In this case,
ask: "What would happen to camp if the dam was breached?" "Do
you still have camp as you know it?" Once you've truly
grasped the importance of the facility, the next question might unnerve
you as well: "What IS required to maintain a dam? We've
never done a thing!" You're on the right track, now. |
| What will add or maintain real
or perceived value to the program and property? |
Once the campers are safe and the
viability of the facility is secure, the next issue is filling camp
and keeping it filled. With an emphasis on program and market appeal,
you cannot afford to ignore the addition or continued maintenance
of elements to the property which will improve the program director's
ability to deliver the program. That's what you're about! |
| Choose capital investments that
will reduce operating and maintenance costs. That is, you can calculate
a "pay back" on the time and money invested. |
Let's look at heating hot
water. Depending on your organization, you may budget to replace
a few each year. (You may also just hope that nothing dies this year!)
But have you considered new technology that might deliver better
performance, at a lower cost? Tankless (or instantaneous) hot-water
heaters are many times more energy and water efficient than systems
that store tanks full of water that's reheated over and over
until it's needed. (See "Building Principles" in
the September/October 2005 issue of Camping
Magazine) With just a
little simple math, you could determine for yourself how long it
might take to recover your investment, even if the units cost more
than the conventional ones. |
Originally published in the 2007 January/February
issue of Camping Magazine. |
