What Edmonton condo boards should be planning for five years from now

Reserve Fund Studies are based on the assumption that components will reach their maximum useful life. However, if a preventative maintenance plan doesn’t accompany your reserve study, it’s highly unlikely some components will ever reach their maximum useful life. 

One of the most important responsibilities of your condominium corporation's board of directors faces is effectively planning for major common-area repairs and replacements. Whether a costly expenditure is needed in a few years or not for 20, it’s the board’s fiduciary duty to make sure your condominium corporation has adequate funds when the time comes. That’s where reserve funds come into play.

Get the details on creating a strategic plan for your community.

The annual budgeting process offers an opportunity for your board to explore your condominium’s current financial condition and to ensure your community’s financial stability for the future. Successful condominium management hinges on a well thought out budget for both short-term and long-term planning. 

How well is your condo board functioning? Do your meetings feel fluid and productive, or are you stuck in a rut? Do members of your condo corporation trust your board, or are people starting to raise questions about how operations are run? Regardless of how well you think your board is currently functioning, it is always a good idea to conduct a thorough, honest evaluation of your board.

When your condominium board members (and your property management team, if you are working with a professional management company) have a thorough understanding of their rights and responsibilities, it helps to create a more inviting community. Your community is more likely to be effectively managed and well-maintained, which leads to happier residents.

In part one of this two-part series, we discussed the importance of cyber security to your condo association and the steps that residents can take to protect themselves and their association. In this article, we look at your board’s responsibility in preventing cyber attacks.

For a condominium corporation, great communication relies on an open exchange of information, thoughts and ideas among residents, board members and your property management company. When communication is done well, you can get the answers you need, tackle challenges and strengthen community spirit. 

Like it or not, we have become very dependent on our technology. Whether it’s a cell phone, tablet or computer, our devices enable us to stay connected, conduct business and access information anywhere, anytime. Yet as convenient as these devices may be, cyber security is simply not a priority for the majority of tech users—despite the increased prevalence of cyber attacks. One recent attack even occurred in our own backyard at the University of Alberta.
 
In part one of our two-part series, we look at why cyber security is so important to condo associations. We also provide important steps that residents in your condo community can take to protect their technology so that sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.