landscape committee

JC3 - Each committee is unique to the community/association it serves. The duties of committees should be outlined in your governing documents. From what I've learned on this site, some association's governing documents permit committees to have approval over the Board, some associations only permit recommendations to the Board for ratification/decision.

As a former Board member and liaison to our landscape committee I can say they worked closely with our landscaper, reviewed the contract, and submitted proposals to the BOD for enhancements throughout the community. If a unit owner wanted to modify the landscape in and around their townhouse, our committee would join with the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and offer perspective and approval that the end result was according to the modification submission materials during and after installation time.

A good landscape committee takes in active role in how the association presents itself to the outside world. Depending on the size of the association and committee here are a few of the things I've seen landscape committees do:

Survey the trees and shrubs and develop a maintenance plan for their trimming, health and growth

Develop plans to replace certain trees, shrubs and flowers with ones that require less water or care

Find a border or peripheral area of the association to plant replacement shrubs over a period of time so that when one dies, it can be replaced with a similar-sized one.

Develop short and long term plans to improve specific areas, including entries.

Create sets of specifications for the contractors that will work on the landscaping (keeping in mind what the owners are willing to pay for)

One association I worked with used to have a "Spring Planting Day" every year where volunteers would plant the annuals according to the plans laid out by the committee. Every one who helped out got a flat of flowers to plant in front of their unit (thereby extending the planting and color scheme) and it ended with a great barbecue.

Just some ideas.

Joe

You've been given some good ideas, but basically a landscape committee is whatever the association and the committee members want it to be. It won't necessarilly be the same from one association to another and not all associations would even have such a committee.

The BOD is in charge. Anyone and everyone reports to the BOD. The MC, the landscaping committe, and the landscaping company (through the MC). That is to say that the BOD can tell the MC what to tell the contractor to do and how to do it.

Of course, the BOD is elected by the membership so in a sense, it reports to the members but not as individuals.

Yes, the board has a contract with the MC and the MC has a contract with the landscaper. The board is still in charge and can tell the MC to tell the landscapser what to do.

SusanW1, are you a board member? If so, it's improper to be paid for your work for the association.

Well, you may be technically right, but it sure lookes bad. Read through some of the posts here where people are accusing their board members of steering business to themselves or relatives and friends.

It's far more pleasant to not have to stand up at a membership meeting and try to explain that you put something out to bid and then hired yourself.

AlexL1: Re your question..."MC (Management Company) has already hired a contractor for landscaping, etc etc? Would, then, in this case, the landscape committee report to the BOD and the BOD to the MC and the MC to the Landscape contractor?"

The landscaping contractor's contract is an agreement between 2 parties--the contractor and the Board. However, in some instances, the Management Company is the umbrella company over the contractors (landscaping, snow removal, roofing, etc.). Is the latter situation what your association has? Is the
contract signed by the contractor and the management company?

The ideal situation is that the management company presents (through their experience with other communities) the Board their recommendations on contractors, but the Board has the final say in who is awarded the contract, at what price, and for what services to be completed.

The MC, however, can act as a monitor (as part of the MC's role) to ensure the work is being performed per the signed contract, but it is the Board who is
ultimately responsible to ensure all is being done correctly and that the money paid to the contract is being spent wisely.

In our association, and I believe most others, the BOD has the power to create committees, define their scope, appoint and remove members, and disband committees.

This may be irrelevant to you're comment .but I need the help how can I land a hoa landscape contact..