Northpark Neighbors

December Snow Removal

Posted in: Cobblestone Village
  • Stock
  • redin
  • Valued Neighbor
  • USA
  • 2 Posts
  • Respect-O-Meter: Valued Neighbor
Clarification

Below is a summary of Green Plan's presentation at the board meeting and other CVHA board cogitations thereon.

From Board Mtg 1/8/7 with Joe from Greenplan:

Q: Why did it take so long to begin plowing?

A: Plows got stuck; Hiway 36 was closed. Once snow is packed down, no point, nothing they can do to prevent ice potholes.

Q: Why not have them in Denver beforehand?

A: Parking is only 10 mins from complex, still could not get through. Contract says don?’t have to plow till 6 inches.

Q: Why did shovelers (2) leave 12/21 after doing only ?‘91/s & ?‘93?’s? Why did they come back at 4 pm ?– after we had shoveled ?– and redid only 3-4 sets of units?

A: This is first time with this complex. [actually second]

Q: Why was there no sanding? Ice control?

A: Application of treatment was by request only.

Q: Plows came at 11:30 pm and did no plowing but woke us up, tore through complex and hit ice chunks at entrance, damaging plow? Then about 5 workers from 2 other trucks stood around 15 mins blocking entrance examining damage.

A: Yes, plow was damaged. That worker is unlucky, he broke his tooth also, but one of their best and oldest workers.

Q: Why shoveling sidewalks on Federal.

A: Misunderstanding from Pennant instructions.

GP Excuse: Do not have to do shoveling/plowing when conditions do not permit per contract.

Response: Contract also states that complex snow/ice cleanup must be completed when storm is finished.

Q: Will $17,000 [at that time] bill be adjusted for non-work.

A: Joe cannot do this; somebody at HQ must adjust bill.

Q: Why vehicles parked & not doing anything.

A: Sometimes they like to park their vehicles in their customers' lots overnight for their convenience.

GP: Tomorrow they will work on snow piles.

A: Please only clearing west mailboxes so we can park {still not done} and making roads drivable is all we want.

Board Discussion at meeting after Joe left

Pro: They could not get to complex.

Con: They did not try very hard & did not stay when they did get here.

Pro: It is only their first time, so they cannot be judged yet on one performance; did a great fall cleanup.

Con: They lied (12/21 work) and were not responsive when asked for reasons/bill adjustment.

Pro: Some side streets are this bad or worse.

Con: We still cannot drive our cars through the complex 3 wks later.

Pro: Plows could not get through early on b/c cars stuck in streets.

Con: No cars seen in streets other than in ?‘27?’s to prevent plowing.


Board post-meeting discussion re threats of non-plowing if not paid $15k

Pro pay: Certain board members were critical and are to blame for threats of non-plowing because of no assurance of full payment; these members shouldn?’t speak without ?“board approval.?”

Con: All board members represent homeowners and should be allowed to speak freely on their behalf; ideally a fair sampling of homeowners come to meetings and speak for themselves.

For paymt promise: Offer of 60% should be made so Mgr won?’t have to find someone else quickly & have us be plowed last; want to keep this co, not lose them.

v. paymt promise: Using the threat of another storm to lock in payment is blackmail; board already decided to pay for documented work done, negotiate the rest.

Payment: Knowing that snow coverage is promised this weekend, Manager makes offer to pay bill minus 12/21 obvious erroneous billing of $6k b/c she has 3 votes = quorum.

Con: Unanimous board decisions necessary outside of regular/special meetings, not just 3 as bylaws forbid this.

irresponsibility

My feeling about payment is this: We have for far too long allowed irresponsibility and lack of integrity to be compensated because of fear of a lawsuit. Snow removal is just that - taking snow away from one place and putting it elsewhere (such as has been done withe snow in Denver -- removing it from neighborhoods and placing it at Coors Field). There was none of that done here. Snow plowing is pushing snow from one area to another. To my knowledge, there was none of that done here. Snow shoveling is taking a snow shovel and removing it from sidewalks and porches so that pedestrians can have free access from their homes. To my knowledge, this was not done by anyone associated with the service the board contracted with.

What would happen if you denied payment to this outfit? They'd probably initiate a lawsuit. Who would win? My guess would be you. You would have a bevy of homeowners in the court room who would angrily defend your stand. What leg would this lazy bunch of do-nothings have to stand on? I say enough is enough. We've paid for lousy services for far too long here at Cobblestone. Lousy landscape crews. Lousy snow removal services in the past. Lousy paint jobs... Lousy legal teams. If we keep rewarding bad service, it's what we will continue to get.

By Homeowner in 2901s
fabrication

This bill is a fabrication. I have not seen one drop of mag chloride in this complex. You people live here also and you must have seen what a terrible job they did. I don't know about the rest of the complex but no trucks were anywhere near our driveway until Dec. 27th. Until that time it took a stunt driver to get out of our parking spaces. I never saw more than 2 people working and they did not do our area because Donna, Kim, and Drew cleaned us out every week now for 4 weeks. The mail box area was so bad they had to bring in a bobcat to break up the ice, the ice that they did not plow to begin with. Please consider what we pay these people and please find a new company that is reliable.
Sharon and Ray Nash
2939 West 81st #E
Cobblestone Village

By Homeowner in '39's
no strategy

I also am not content with the level of service this company has provided. I do not want to blame the workers though- I think this is more at that Manager leve (how they stratigized) . The first snow we had they didnt even move the snow away from the side walk- and when they did plow it they plowed it back into the front of my house. I still have a big snow pile pretty much right in front of the door- this is not ok, what if we had handicapped people that needed to move about in a wheel chair?

I would like to know more about the breakdown of the costs of the snow removal. The night before the second storm ( before new years) they did come out and I think they did do a better job. But, I also had to go out and shovel big chunks of ice- which is ok, but we are paying for a service that is not being delivered.


By Owner in the '67's
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