I’m not in a state of outrage, far from it. If people would do the right thing by shovelling their walks and keeping them ice-free I’d prefer a winter of this to a winter of cold, gray, wet.

Taking walk is a real work out and not a little nerve wracking even for me. I think we have really let down those with mobility issues.

My Mom is 90 and while we could shovel her sidewalk, there was nothing we could do to safely get her through the snow ruts and into a car. Her Christmas and New Years were pretty much a write off unless we wanted to risk life altering broken hips or arms. Simply not worth it.

But, she jokes today that she has bread and milk (thanks to noble #1 son) and nobody will see that her hair is not done and if her meals are getting a little strange… well it still looks so pretty outside her kitchen window and the kids sliding down the Sunset hill are so cute.

Frances,

I too fall into Category number 2. But that just may be the masochist in me…love the snow. The ice, not so much.

Still, walking downhill to Safeway at 9:30pm last night was enjoyable. Deep breaths of clean, cold air (why does snow smell so good?), and then challenging myself to see if I could still run and slide along the ice. A quick glance over my shoulder to see if anyone is watching, just in case I land on my arse, and then away I go. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Yup. Still got it.

Get the provisions from Safeway. The usual, as well some celebratory cans of smoked oysters, whipping cream, and decent chocolate.

Since many seem to think we are at the ‘End Of Days’ in this weather , I thought at least I should be prepared to go out in style.

Re: your muscle pulls and aching joints. Uneven terrain like we are experiencing right now works just like a Bosu ball: it makes you use your muscles and balance in ways you normally don’t. 20 inches of snow in Vancouver means a full body workout (market THAT, Mr. Zalko). Cancel that gym membership, kids.

It is hard on older people and the access issues are very real. If you live in a condo, now is a good time to meet the neighbors and see if you can lend a hand.

And speaking of such things: Three cheers to those who exhibit what we used to quaintly call “good citizenship ” , by shovelling their own and others sidewalks, assisting passengers on and off transit and generally being menschs (look it up).

A big raspberry to those who only bitch, complain, caterwaul and don’t lift a finger or lend a hand. Neighbourliness starts with each of us, on our own streets.

Go knock on a neighbors door and ask if you can help–I dare you!

We should be grateful to Michael Geller for pointing out that inability to clear snow in front of a condominium is a red flag pointing towards other deficiencies.

Maybe it’s time to be like Bologna, Italy (it does snow there)
and mandate street colonnades, arcades that block the snow
and rain from the streets. See Lee Building at Main and Broadway
for example.
Quickly, (the way they tear down commercial buildings) the city
would have walkable sidewalks whatever the weather.
Doesn’t anyone bless the Bay’s awning along Georgia, Seymour
and Granville?

And eventually we can’t ‘push’ the snow off the street but will
have to take it away and dump it. Where? And how many salty oil
chemicals are in the mix as we destroy more rivers and bays?
Seattle P- noted that their city
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/393497_roads24.html
..”What they haven’t used is rock salt, a good but some say
environmentally unfriendly way to clear the roads of snow and ice.
In the mid-1990s, the city decided not to use the more corrosive salt,
and instead it uses GeoMelt C, a liquid blend of calcium chloride in a
soy base. The de-icer is thought to be gentler on the environment and
considered better for the Puget Sound waterway, where eventually much
of it will end up.”

And water, cheese whey and molasses as a better de-icing mix
from the Fraser Valley.
Linkname: Road crews pit chemistry against ice
URL: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/393039_blackice20.html

A re-post from Francis’ other post of Mr. Geller’s comment:

Although I’d classify myself as a Geller supporter, I have to say I take issue with the uninformed position he takes in his email to you Francis.

To suggest a building that doesn’t shovel their walks may have hidden problems, so therefore don’t buy there, seems to be made out of frustration rather than thoughtful consideration.

First off he is correct in stating that the province does not require a minimum reserve fund to be in place. They do however require 10% of the strata’s yearly operating budget be deposited into a contingency fund. As a side note, under the previous NDP government, this was 5% and changed under the first elected Liberal government. That’s not a pro-Campbell statement, just a point that it has been increased.

Anyone who is shopping to buy a condo should complete their due diligence by at a minimum a) reading at least 2 years of minutes, b) examining operating budgets from previous years, as well as the current year for any anomalies, specifically ledger items that are either over spent or unused, as well as what the operating budget contains by item, c) careful consideration of the contingency fund with age of the building, upcoming potential repairs based on age of the building etc…, and d) hire a building/home inspector that does more than come in and check the faucets and outlets throughout the property.

In the case of a contingency, it is true that some of this could be used for snow removal, however a more fiscally responsible council would opt to pay for snow removal through their annual operating budget, and if at the end of their fiscal year, had the building ran a deficit, which is required by law to be paid and not carried over, the ownership at their AGM would have the option of paying the overage through a levy, or taking the money from their contingency fund.

For a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars, considering this amount is split among owners, a levy is usually what is decided as prudent.

Immediate snow removal and contingency reserve funds have no direct correlation, just as snow removal and the quality of the building’s maintenance do not.

As an example, the condo I live in (I was President and/or Treasurer for 6 years), hires a firm to evaluate the entire building every year. This evaluation is then used to complete repairs to the buildings exterior. Both the report and subsequent yearly repairs are done religiously. The building is in amazing shape and is known as a great place to purchase based on council’s diligence.

Also of note is a 50 year maintenance plan that includes every aspect of the building that we had our property manager prepare for owners and council to know when both repairs and levies would be required to carry out the work. Future owners can see what year work (such as boiler replacement for example) should be carried out and if something is missed can then raise their concern.

This past year, the present council, which I am not part of, decided to cancel the snow removal contract we’ve had in place for about 10 years now. Why? Because when doing a service versus cost comparison it made no sense to continue, so they opted to go with an on-call basis for snow removal.

When the snow started to fall and it was obvious that more was coming than in past years they tried to secure this on-call service through our property management company. Unfortunately all of their contacts were swamped with work, and none were available.

So about 5 people went out on their own accord and shoveled as they deemed necessary. The areas shoveled were common areas, and areas of most use. What was not shoveled was the front sidewalk as most of us don’t use it. From the street view, we would have been a derelict building in Mr. Geller’s eyes.

After the fact, the council was made aware of the city bylaw with regards to snow removal of multiple family dwellings. They are now adjusting their policy and actions to ensure the snow is better addressed in the future.

Further, for anyone with issues surrounding strata developments in the lower mainland, they can call CHOA, the Condominium Home Owners Association for information, advice, and/or membership.

For Mr. Geller to spout off as he did without more information was completely off-base. Our building may be overly diligent when compared to others, however to link snow removal with a lack of other maintenance, and subsequently to whether to buy or not to buy is just plain old wrong.

Wagamuffin,

Interesting name, I’m new here so I don’t quite get it, but hey lots goes over my head….

The BC Liberals amended the Strata Property Act after they took office in 2001, adding legislation to make it more effective than it was prior.

In addition to increasing the contingency fund requirement from 5-10%, they also required property management firms to become licensed, which was not previously required.

Are there still shitty PM firms out there? Probably, however that has mostly to do with the workload they dump on the actual people managing those buildings. A management firm is like a building inspector, they need to be interviewed, come with referrals, and have their credentials checked before they are hired. That would save owners and councils a whole mess of trouble.

I’m not suggesting there isn’t more to do, with regards to better legislation, however being on a strata council I’ve seen first hand the apathy and ‘rental apartment’ mentality from all owners, not just investor/absentee owners.

Mr. Geller was advocating legislation to mandate a minimum amount of funds in a contingency fund. Somehow he linked snow removal to not having efficient funds in place, and a potential disaster down the road because then obviously buildings would fall into crisis again, re the leaky condo saga.

From my 10 years of experience both living in condos, and 6 years of being either a president or treasurer, the problems in most buildings simply boils down to owners passing the buck.

Why wasn’t a building maintained? Why is the flashing not kept up? Why wasn’t the flat roof inspected regularly?

Blaming the lack of money in a contingency fund for lack of repairs is an excuse, not a logical or acceptable reason.

The majority of people do not go to their strata council meetings (6x per year), nor to the 1x per year AGM. Most people just expect the building to be managed by the PM firm, but few including those on councils, fully understand the contract in place between a strata and PM firm.

Lots of stuff here can go wrong, but trying to legislate people to prevent them from costing themselves money is futile. If there is a concern that a future buyer then is stuck with a problem, then one has to also ask, did they properly evaluate the building before buying.

Lastly, vetting strata council candidates sounds nice but isn’t even that thorough in civic/prov/fed politics.

When nominating yourself at the AGM for a council position, the only time credentials come into play is when there are more people running for seats, than what council holds. I would venture to say that most buildings have trouble obtaining a full-council.

Sorry but no one should expect me or anyone else to feel sorry for, or support government bailout money, to buildings that fall into extreme disrepair, that don’t even have enough of their owners volunteering for council on a regular basis.

Nobody, I repeat nobody, needs to have any special training, or be that intelligent to ask questions, read, and learn about what is best for the home/condo/building you live in. No legislation will do that.