MAINTENANCE OF PHYSICAL PLANT AND ENVIRONMENT GUIDELINES

Inspections and Code Compliance:

• All new sites are inspected by a fire authority within 12 months of opening and licensure.
• All sites are annually inspected by municipal building inspectors against building and fire codes.
• Some sites are also inspected by fire inspectors (larger metro areas)
• County foster care licensors inspect initially and annually all licensed sites against MSA 245D requirements (Issued then a Community Residential Setting CRS license.)
• We also complete a Home Safety Checklist before the CRS license is issued.
• Re-inspections can be ordered at any time by state or local authorities.

Physical Plant Requirements:

Common Areas:

• Living area with adequate furnishings for living and social activities
• Dining area to accommodate meals for all residents

Bedrooms:

• At least 80 square feet of floor space
• 120 square feet if double occupancy
• Minimally 7 ½ foot ceilings
• Separated from halls, corridors and other rooms by floor to ceiling walls (no openings)
• Do not serve as a corridor to another room
• Have lockable doors with key issued to the person (copy to Manager for emergencies) complying with MSA 245D.04.

Bedroom Furnishings:

• Separate bed of proper size and height for convenience and comfort
• Clean mattress in good repair (normally inner spring, person may choose other – documented in their file.)
• Clean bedding appropriate for the season
• Individual cabinet or dresser*
• Shelving*
• Closet*
• Storage for personal belongings*
• Mirror for grooming*
• Person may choose not to use or have these (documented in their file)
• May bring personal possessions into their room, providing neat, orderly and not a fire hazard

For Service:

• All new managers and support coordinators will receive site specific maintenance training within the first 90 days of hire.
• In turn the manager should review an abbreviated version of the Maintenance Policy and Procedure with their staff during the September Team Meeting.  The outline for this training is in the September Monthly Team Meeting folder on the M-drive.
• Maintenance takes routine calls (612-636-8080) from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.
• After hours calls can be made to the maintenance tech (if a real emergency), vice president of administration (651-249-6097) or the on call administrator (612-598-5700).

Service Contracts:

• All homes use Xcel “Home Smart,” CenterPoint “Service Plus,” or other utility service contractors.
• Covers the furnace, air conditioning, water heater, dishwasher, and refrigerator.
• The furnace, air conditioning, and water heater must be covered.  The other appliances are optional (decided by the manager and senior manager).
• CenterPoint Tel. No. 877-477-1664.  They ask for a P-I-N (provided at the training).
• Xcel Tel. No. 866-837-9762 (No P-I-N).
• Some outstate sites use other companies

Emergencies – Gas Smells, Fires:

If you smell gas or spot/suspect a fire:

1. Don’t try the fire extinguisher unless tiny fire.  Smoke can overtake you quickly.
2. Evacuate everyone – get more than 75 feet away from the house
3. Don’t use cell phones or other electronic devices
4. Watch out for static electricity
5. Don’t use the automatic garage door opener
6. (All these devices can spark an explosion if the gas is concentrated enough)
7. Once outside and clear of the house, call 9-1-1 immediately – they call fire rescue, gas company, etc.
8. Call the on call administrator and follow the Responding to and Reporting of Incidents and Emergencies Procedure

Emergencies – Extreme Temps:

1. If your AC or furnace is out, call Xcel or CenterPoint immediately 24/7.
2. Call the maintenance tech during business hours to report the outage.
3. Have a contingency plan (nearby hotel), if extreme temps in the house
4. (Over 85F or below 60F)
5. Use of fans or oil filled space heaters can sometimes help.

Emergencies – Water Leaks:

1. Leaks – turn of valve at the source (under sink for small leak) or for the entire house if major leak like a burst pipe (water shut off from the street) Do not delay!
2. The manager or support coordinator must show each new staff working at the site where these shut off valves are.
3. Call maintenance tech to describe the problem.  Can call vice president of administration of no response.
4. Will attempt to get a plumber out there ASAP.

Emergencies – Extreme Water Temps:

If the water heater is malfunctioning (too hot – in excess of 120F)

1. Stop all bathing, showering and unattended washing immediately, no exceptions.
2. Call maintenance tech immediately
3. Call Xcel or CenterPoint immediately
4. Once repaired, run the hot water for about 20 minutes to evacuate the overheated water to reduce the temp with fresh cold water.
5. Measure the water temp before returning to use (must be below 120F).
6. Best to measure closest to the water heater (laundry sink).

If the repair to the water heater will be delayed for more than 24 hours call the maintenance tech or vice president of administration to report the delay.  Also call the manager and/or senior manager to develop a contingency plan (hotel) until the repair is made.

Power Outages:

• If the power goes out and the rest of the neighborhood appears to be out too, call your electrical provider.  Companies and numbers to follow:
• Don’t assume you don’t have to call because someone else in the neighborhood has—call.  If it appears that the power will be out awhile, call the senior manager during regular business hours or the emergency on call administrator after hours to report the outage.  When the power is restored, repeat those calls.  Again, there might be the need for a contingency plan.

Power Outages Numbers to Call:

• Anoka Municipal Utility:                      763-576-2750
• Chaska Electric:                                 952-448-4335
• Connexus Energy:                              763-323-2660
• Elk River Public Utiity:                                    888-606-4660
• Rochester Public Utility:                     507-280-9191
• Xcel Energy:                                       800-895-1999

Maintenance Requests – Phone App – this is being tested and will be finalized soon.

Non-Emergency – Service:

Whenever any service technician comes to the home to make a repair, always ask the tech for a copy of the work ticket and get that ticket to the maintenance tech.

Non-Emergency – Service Technicians:

• If Home Smart of Service Plus comes to your site twice within any six month period to fix the same appliance, call the maintenance tech—may be a sign of a problem not getting resolved.
• Maintenance tech can help and talk with the service tech.

Non-Emergency – Water Softener:

1. Check the water softener canister periodically.
2. Verify the salt and water level are up close to the top.
3. Otherwise can clog plumbing.

Licensing Preparation – Licensed Sites:

1. When anyone at the site first learns about a scheduled date for a foster care licensing inspection call the maintenance tech immediately.
2. The maintenance tech can assist with the preparation.  The tech needs ample notice.

Fall/Winter Check Lists:

1. These are emailed out each fall to the manager to complete as winter preparation projects described on the form are completed.
2. E-mail or fax the completed form to the vice president of administration

Support Coordinator’s Role in Maintenance:

1. Remain alert to problems
2. Report needs to the manager and maintenance
3. Monitor work requests (is the work getting done?)
4. Review inspection (Maintenance Committee) for direction
5. Support your manager
6. Train staff
7. Lead by example
8. Keep persons receiving services first (it’s their home)

Manager’s Role in Maintenance:

1. Back up the support coordinator
2. Supervise staff
3. Enforce policies
4. Purchase needed supplies (can delegate with Wells Fargo cards)
5. Train staff in maintenance
6. Perform tasks assigned by inspections
7. Assess progress on maintenance requests

Maintenance Committee:

1. Internal committee of your peers
2. Inspects in site roughly every six months
3. Called the Semi-Annual Maintenance Inspection
4. Rates the condition of all physical plants and housekeeping including offices and hubs
5. Rating: 1 – Poor, 2 – Meets Standards, 3 – Excellent
6. Rating of 1 – committee returns to the site within a month to bring up to standards
7. Deficiencies are added to the site budget

Landlords of Rental Properties:                                                                               

• Before any planned communication with any landlord first confer with the maintenance technician.
• Generally the maintenance technician communicates with landlords unless otherwise specified.