Omnia Pacific Construction is giving away a pair of passes to The American Express golf tournament, featuring the game’s top pros competing at the PGA West Stadium Course and live performances by Gwen Stefani and Darius Rucker, January 19-22 in La Quinta, CA.

You and a guest will be treated to a VIP experience that includes:

• Complimentary parking pass
• Hosted food and beverage
• Access to the Omnia Pacific Construction Executive Suite at the island green on #17
• Attending Gwen Stefani OR Darius Rucker concert with VIP access

This exciting giveaway runs January 5-13 with the winner randomly selected using a third-party application and notified via Instagram DM. The winner will have until January 16 to accept the prize and will be featured in a subsequent Instagram post.

To enter you must:

• Be 21 or older and a legal California resident
• Follow @campropertyservices on Instagram
• Like the Instagram post announcing the giveaway
• Tag who you would bring with you to the event
• Comment who you would like to see: Gwen or Darius

Passes are electronic and will be transferred to the winner prior to the event. Passes cannot be re-sold or transferred without Omnia Pacific Construction’ consent or exchanged for cash value. As guests of Omnia Pacific Construction, you agree to abide by the rules of the PGA Tour and The American Express Tournament.

This giveaway is not officially associated with, sponsored, or endorsed by, Instagram, the PGA Tour, or The American Express Golf Tournament.

The last several years have seen a major uptick in the popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters across the country, including right here in Southern California. In 2022, around 1.1 million e-bikes were imported to the U.S., an increase from 880,000 in 2021 and 450,000 in 2020, according to the industry trade group LEVA (Light Electric Vehicle Association).

In rental property sphere, many environmentally conscious tenants and customers have embraced e-bikes and e-scooters for their transportation needs. By providing amenities that cater to these preferences, property owners can better attract and retain this clientele, effectively securing their loyalty over competitors. This approach isn’t just good for business practices — it also aligns with the sustainable ethos embraced by the modern renter.

But even as battery-powered vehicles continue to fill our streets and boardwalks, safety concerns over the lithium-ion batteries that power them have emerged. Over the past few years, fires caused by e-bike lithium-ion batteries have skyrocketed, resulting in deaths, injuries, and property destruction. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission received reports of at least 208 micro-mobility fire or overheating incidents between January 2021 and November 2022 alone.

These fires often occur when e-bikes have been left charging overnight, leaving them overheated, defective, and damaged. Lithium-ion batteries contain a chemical solution that is both dense and extremely flammable. As a result, battery fires are fast-moving and spread rapidly, and it’s even possible for the chemicals to reignite even after the fire has been extinguished.

Industry groups such as the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), are advocating for more regulation around e-bikes and scooters. Omnia Pacific is committed to educating building owners and property managers about the potential dangers posed by e-bike batteries and how our Construction Pros can help prevent them.

Retrofitting your property

Fire safety begins with ensuring your building can prevent the spread of fire. Omnia Pacific does just that by:

• Encapsulating existing bike storage space with cinder block
• Install e-charging hook-ups for e-bikes and e-scooters
• Retrofitting all fire suppression systems to ensure the building is fully compliant with all fire safety codes and regulations.

Building a safe storage space

Omnia Pacific creates custom-built e-bike storage areas that prioritize safety and security by:

• Utilizing fire-resistant materials such as concrete, steel and brick to ensure your e-bike storage area is well-equipped to handle any potential fire outbreak.
• Installing top-of-the-line fire suppression systems, including fire sprinklers and smoke detectors, to provide an added layer of protection.
• Allowing for proper ventilation to prevent the accumulation of combustible materials that can contribute to the spread of fire.

Offering amenities tailored to environmentally aware tenants and customers enables property owners to enhance client retention and growth. With Omnia Pacific, you can trust that your e-bike storage area is not only a secure and convenient, but also safe to users and the community.

Accessible routes for pedestrians are an ongoing debate for commercial and office retail spaces,  although the requirement for a property owner to have accessible routes from the public walking path to connecting all buildings on the site is part of the 2013 California Building Code. The question arises when a site only has a vehicular access point from the building entrance to the facility, and whether or not there should be pedestrian access.

Most property owners believe that if a concrete or asphalt path is the access point between buildings in a facility, they are not responsible for providing a pedestrian route of travel. These property owners come to the conclusion that they do not have to provide pedestrian accessibility because the property was originally built without such connections, exempting them from providing access – don’t believe this myth because these property owners are wrong. The law¹ {1991 ADA standards sections 4.1.2(1) & (2)} states that if it can be anticipated that the route between access points will be used by pedestrians, property owners must provide an accessible route.

In some situations, the investment of installing connections to public sidewalks can be done without destroying the property, reducing landscape areas or creating financial burdens on ownership². Depending on the city/county, building codes require certain amount of landscape to be maintained which makes it harder to create these access points for pedestrians. CAM Services has ADA + CASp experts and can manage all types of different situations regarding access points on a property. Call Omnia at 800-576-3050 for an inspection today!

IMPROVE SATISFACTION & COMPLIANCE:

CLEAN THAT TRASH CHUTE

Daily trash output increases more than twenty-five percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to some estimates. Consider all of the extra food waste, party cleanups, and packaging that gets thrown into the burgeoning trash bin, just like a portly Santa Claus squeezing down the chimney.

Bulky packaging often clogs the chute and blocks the clean flow of garbage into the bin. Then food waste piles on top and splashes along the walls in an oozing mess. Or the trash accumulates so high that garbage blocks the chute. These are all common problems that occur this time of year.

High-rise commercial properties and multifamily residences are the worst offenders. Irregular holiday trash pickups and facility staff vacation schedules compound the problem. If left unchecked, these sanitation problems can create cascading issues for property managers.

Here are some of the top reasons why professionally servicing your trash chute is highly recommended, especially at the beginning of the year.

KEEP PESTS AWAY

Trash chutes are the perfect breeding ground for pests. Cockroaches, flies, maggots, mice, rats, raccoons, and all kinds of other pests thrive in dirty trash environments. These conditions offer everything pests need: food, humidity, darkness, privacy, and accessibility. Roaches and rodents can even use filthy chutes to climb from floor to floor, taking their infestation to a higher level. At the lower level, the area immediately around a dirty trash bin can become a breeding ground for these pests. In no time, a building could be facing a full-blown infestation.

PREVENT ODORS FROM SPREADING

There are more than 30 types of bacteria and biological growths that commonly occur in uncleaned trash chutes. These growths and other accumulated waste thrown down the chute can lead to repulsive odors that permeate the building. Occupants will soon be dealing with the lingering smell of dirty trash. 

DAMAGE CONTROL

If neglected, some trash chutes can start to show serious damage. Corrosive bacteria and acids can line the walls of a dirty trash chute. These elements can destroy protective finishes and weaken fasteners, leading to structural damage of the chute. Not only will you be dealing with pests and odor, but you will eventually have to replace the chute. Regulations also require properly functioning discharge doors, which limit the spread of odors and serve as fire breaks between floors. 

IMPROVE AIR QUALITY

While smell can be an indicator, unclean garbage chutes can create poor air quality throughout a building. Airborne spores and mold can develop in this environment and spread from floor to floor with each opening of a chute door. Toxic conditions can lead to illness among building occupants and visitors. Also consider tenant satisfaction and occupancy retention. Less tenant turnover leads to higher operating income for property companies.

UPHOLD SAFETY

Damaged chute doors are a common problem, especially among older buildings. Doors that do not close completely can offer a permanent passageway to unwanted odors, molds, and pests. Unclosed chute doors can also create fire hazards and leave your building vulnerable to safety code violations and fines. NFPA 82 requires an annual inspection and certification of chute intake and discharge doors.

Since 1987, Omnia Pacific Construction has provided a full range of building and common area maintenance for customers throughout California. Professional trash chute services include free inspections, steam cleaning, high-pressure washing, chute repair, full replacement, door maintenance, eco-friendly enzyme solutions, innovative odor blockers, and industry safe practices.

After a month of especially hard use, now is the time to refresh your building’s trash facilities. Call the property professionals now at Omnia Pacific Construction to discuss and evaluate your specific cleaning needs.

Code enforcement against businesses violating The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) continue to rise, while civil lawsuits set record levels year over year. California is particularly active in penalizing ADA code violations. In the first half of 2019, the state represented a staggering 43% of the country’s ADA lawsuits according to Seyfarth Shaw LLP. ADA compliance is an important aspect of facility management.

Courts continue to rule against businesses violating the ADA for failing to meet legal regulations with curb cuts, parking, signage, wheelchair ramps, countertops, and restroom facilities. Quite often, business owners have no idea of the violations prior to the lawsuit.

In addition to statutory citations, California courts are fraught with cases brought about by plaintiffs and law firms targeting small businesses for ADA violations. While Federal law offers a $1,000 minimum for violations, California awards a $4,000 minimum per violation plus plaintiff attorney fees, making the state a hotbed for lawyers seeking quick, out-of-court settlements.

Some of these cases are brought about by vexatious litigants seeking to shakedown business owners for unjust profit. One study showed 46% of the ADA lawsuits in California were filed by just 14 plaintiffs.

In recent years federal and state lawmakers have attempted to reform the rules around filing ADA cases. Some require giving a business time to make repairs prior to the filing of a lawsuit. However, plaintiffs have been quick to adjust, often moving lawsuits from one jurisdiction to another to circumvent such requirements. ADA lawsuits can typically be filed in state or federal court.

Most cases do not proceed through to a full court trial as businesses tend to settle these grievances out of court. The legal fees and penalties can be substantial, so businesses often begrudgingly settle with plaintiff attorneys for less than the estimated cost of a legal defense. This is especially true when a business is likely to be found in violation, whether they knew about the regulation or not.

It is clear that avoiding these types of complaints and lawsuits is most advantageous. The best way is to hire a company for an ADA inspection. If violations are found, repairs should be immediate. Most property managers find it advisable to hire one company that does both the ADA inspection and the ADA remediation, leaving no room for dispute.

In addition to code enforcement, California regulators also certify professionals specifically trained in ADA remediation. A Certified Access Specialist for Property Inspection (CASp) is educated and licensed through the Division of the State Architect (DSA) to inspect buildings and properties for compliance with state and federal accessibility standards. These certified CASp experts are best qualified to lead ADA compliance efforts.

As facility professionals in California since 1987, Omnia Pacific Construction is well equipped to handle any ADA concerns you might have. Omnia offers ADA inspections, repairs, and remediation, for existing and new construction. Omnia facility experts have extensive experience with buildings, access points, parking lots, and other common areas. Their certified CASp experts are available to assess and manage your ADA concerns.

Problematic ADA lawsuits can arrive without warning. Fortunately, property managers in California can call 800-576-3050 now for a consultation about ADA compliance before it becomes an even bigger issue.

Client:

Combined Properties

Client Representative:

Jason Struwe

Project Address:

9320 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA

Description of project:

Full buildout of new office space.

Total Value:

$640,000

Timeframe to complete:

5 months