Tłı̨chǫ Property Management and New Housing in Edzo
Over the past 18 months, I have had the goal of amalgamating Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation companies, so we can improve our efficiency and eliminate some redundancy and costs within the consolidated business. For every company we have, there needs to be a
separate audit, specific transactions, cheques, etc. In bringing the companies together, we will reduce from 22 companies to eight. As part of this amalgamation, we can eliminate some of the smaller entities and bring all TIC owned property under one company with a common goal of preventative maintenance, asset improvement, and providing the best customer service to all people and businesses who lease space from TIC. We have taken many steps closer this past year with the formation of Tłı̨chǫ Property Management (TPM) which will eventually include all the properties, maintenance and custodial crews, with the hope of expanding that business over the next few years.
TPM is a company within the Community Operations division under TIC, which is managed by Jim Golchert, Director of Community Operations. With the formation of TPM, some of the small entities under TIC today will be eliminated to improve efficiencies, and save costs for duplicating work, audits, banking transactions, etc. This is all a part of cost savings and improvement initiatives across TIC. During Fiscal 2021 we will complete the transfer of properties and staff, to group functions and provide common goals for the administration of all properties under the TIC umbrella. This has been an area where I have wanted to see us improve since 2017.
I finally feel as if successful strides are being taken.
The Manager of Tłı̨chǫ Property Management is Raymon Mansour who has joined us and is now living in Behchokǫ̀. The community and TIC team have welcomed him on his new adventure. He has taken on the challenge of assembling the loads of leases, getting the maintenance team organized, and putting our property asset management system (Yardi Breeze) to good use. A new era of work order process and preventative maintenance management is being developed. The maintenance of properties includes the store and motel buildings, inside and out. Raymon has years of experience managing properties and leases which will be very important in achieving the initiatives for this year and beyond.
In June, four new housing units were delivered and placed in Edzo for TPM to manage. These homes look excellent and are required for the needs of 
TCSA staff to live close to the schools and health unit in Behchokǫ̀. Four more units will be delivered in November (in Edzo and Rae), and a fourplex is being constructed in 2021, though the location has yet to be determined. These units have various configurations, to help suit a variety of needs for our tenants. They have a nice clean and modern design inside and are a very nice rental space.
Check out the website for more
pictures of the units and other
community initiatives. If this initiative is as successful as planned, over the next three years, we hope to keep it going to help relieve some of the housing concerns in the Tłıc̨hǫ communities.
Meanwhile, we will be working diligently to make improvements to current offices and homes, with much-needed improvements. In 2019 there was a major effort to install new windows in the Behchokǫ̀ Medical Center and make improvements to the nurse’s residence. This is was just the start of long-needed improvements.
With the addition of Raymon, and the changes being made across the property management company, I have incredibly high hopes for how the properties will look and be maintained. The new process and systems are going to help immensely.
This is just one more of the changes being made within the Tłıc̨ hǫ Investment Corporation as we continue to move toward a strong sustainable future.
Masi Cho!
Mark
