Client Situation
The community of BellaVita at Green Tee, located 17 miles southeast of central Houston, Texas, has 617 homes. It was developed as a premier resort-style, private community. The high-profile amenities consist of a clubhouse, grand ballroom, theatre stage, library, billiards, numerous club and meeting rooms, full chef kitchen, resort pools with cabanas, golf tees, shuffleboard, annex building, extensive walking trail system, lakes with fountains and gated access. The amenities are well used by 10 active and successful committees comprised of 100 active volunteers and are served by six onsite staff members and guided by an association manager. All parties help generate and manage the numerous activities and events that fill the community calendar. The association is overseen by a seven-member Board of Directors.
Financials were structured with rigid categories and mixed reserve expenses placed into maintenance expense line items. This clouded expense line items, capital reserve projects, and capital improvements. While the data was present, it was difficult to interpret the significance and made it challenging for the Board or the Committees to make informed decisions. The experience of inconsistent financial reporting and professional best practices fueled the effort to seek out a professional management partner that could support all the moving parts of a sophisticated and thriving community. They were looking to enlist a partner to help with professional contract relationships without undisclosed conflicts of interest, as well as produce dependable and equitable financial services.
Another challenge was how to keep up with staff turnover, customer service, and communication demands, all while enhancing service levels and ensuring efficiencies of operational costs are controlled. This would allow the community to enhance communications and sustain a “cruise ship-on-land” experience for the Members.
Inframark’s Pure Partnership, based on a professional and engaged leadership management team, has successfully provided reliable best-in-class financial management with meaningful reporting so the Board can make healthy and informed decisions. Paper checks are no longer used, as processes were modernized with web-based accounts payable technology, that integrates into our financial management systems. This has provided more control for the Board Members along with transparency, accountability and timely payment of all invoices to the vendors.
An advanced communications program, TownSquare, is integrated with our management systems. It provides proactive communication and dissemination of official association news and events, with the ability to survey the membership concerning their interests and feedback for events, questions or challenges they may be facing. Additionally, TownSquare provides individual owners direct access to their own account information for accounting, architectural controls, or outstanding deed compliance communications.
Inframark’s Human Resources team has been highly successful in providing qualified employee candidates, as well as educating and strengthening existing staff members. A mentorship program was implemented to promote an onsite employee to assistant manager, reducing the need for a full-time general manager. This more effectively allocates client funds and strengthens the service team.
Inframark implemented a number of best operational practices, including:
The high-level demands were met with qualified and trained personnel, who uphold professional standards and sustain an enriched living experience of the sophisticated and thriving membership. Service contractors are maintained and aligned to professionally and safely provide service for the common areas, as well as preferred pricing and responsive service for individual services to Owners at their option. The Staff is a unified team, working in collaboration with supportive leadership to benefit the homeowners through meaningful communication in every connection. The confidence of leadership combined with solid management and pure partnership builds a framework the community can feel in every facet of:
Change equals apprehension. No matter the circumstances, one always wonders if they're making the right decision. Early in 2017, our homeowner's association had made the decision to change management companies. We spent months on this process, questioning ourselves, meeting with different companies. Inframark didn't just send a couple people to meet with us; they brought a team made up of various components of the organization. This included accounts payable and accounts receivable which was necessary to make us feel comfortable that they knew their business; they were long-term employees and were enthusiastic about their jobs. Their team was very efficient in transitioning us from our previous management company, both in procedures and in personnel. Once the contract was signed, we weren't forgotten. This partnership continues with the very professional leadership they provide us on a daily basis. We are very pleased!
