Page 19 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Spring 2021

NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY — SPRING 2021 19 We specialize in: • Condominium/Townhouse Associations • Single Family HOA/Master Planned • Luxury High Rise Condominiums • Cooperative Communities • Adult Active Communities 11 Cleveland Place • Springfield NJ 07081 tony.nardone@cp-management.com 973.376.3925 www.cp-management.com Now providing Non-Stop service daily — from TWO locations: North Jersey Central Jersey Succasunna, NJ 07876 North Brunswick, NJ 08902 please contact: Chip Hoever CMCA, AMS, PCAM Vice President—Operations 732-228-8200 ext.1001 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.matrixpmgroup.com Matrix provides full service property Management — yes, we do it all • Maintaining homeowner accounts • Full service bookkeeping incl. posting fees—bank reconciliations • Answering homeowner calls—issuing work order if necessary • Supervising maintenance projects • Watching over contractors working on the site • Periodic site inspections, including nights and weekends Visit us at Booth 311 at the Expo May 12, 2021 culture of a particular community. There are those communities where mask wearing is required and enforced—stri- dently, in some cases—and those where it is rejected, facts and CDC recommen- dations notwithstanding. One manager described a situation where the board of the community was dominated by three attorneys, all of whom resided in the building. They pushed through a very strict policy of mask wearing, social dis- tancing, and closure of amenities. Many residents were unhappy with the policy, and expressed as much to the board, but board members in turn asserted that any liability resulting from disobedience of the rules would fall clearly on the resi- dents—the condo wouldn’t share in the responsibility. The prospect of this legal reality cooled the resident revolt in short order. In another property, the manager puts the divide into starker terms: “It’s like ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers.’ I don’t recognize some of these people—many of whom I’ve known for years. People are actually putting their politics before their own good.” Overall, it appears that the biggest pushback against pandemic mitigation efforts may be in over-55 communi- ties, where residents are especially eager to return to some kind of normal, and many are campaigning for reopening, despite the risk that closer contact poses to both themselves and their neighbors. Sentiment doesn’t trump good sense, however—at least not when it comes to the legal and ethical considerations in- volved in managing a multifamily com- munity, and especially not when that community is home to a significant population of more vulnerable residents. “No senior who hasn’t been vaccinat- ed should get within six feet of anyone else,” says Masullo. “And many are hav- ing difficulty getting vaccinated. We will help residents get appointments, and in senior communities \[are organizing\] to do vaccines in clubhouses, etc. I tell \[col- leagues\] that if you’re managing a senior community, you should not open ame- nities. It could mean millions of dollars in lawsuits. Don’t open the pool until the science tells you it’s safe.” n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for CooperatorNews, and a published novelist. lawns or in parking lots have been another popular event where everyone comes with their chairs, beverages, and food. Spaces are marked out six feet apart to be socially dis- tant and watch the movies safely. Th ey also off ered a mixology happy hour in Arlington, Texas, recently, where residents purchased a drink-making kit from a local bar, which was delivered to their home. Participants then joined the scheduled Zoom meeting to watch the mixologist instructor live to learn how to make the craft cocktails. Aft er the drinks were made, the residents logged into a private group for a resident-only happy hour to socialize with friends and neighbors and enjoy the fruits of their labor. The Unique Circumstances of Active Adult Communities According to Gallogly, “We have found that our populations are really split with their level of concern for COVID-19, which has made it very diffi cult to navigate our var- ious lifestyle programming at each site. Th e sweet spot for 55+ sites seems to be having options for our residents that will comple- ment their level of concern. For example, we may secure a local restaurant or food truck to come out on Th ursday evenings. Instead of advertising a set timeframe for them to participate on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served ba- sis, we may off er ten-minute windows that residents can pre-register for to accommo- date those households that don’t want to be faced with the possibility of socializing. Th e second half of the timeframe would be open for walk-ups for those who may want to say hello to a neighbor and don’t mind waiting in line six feet apart.” Clearly, for the time being, social pro- gramming will remain a challenge for resi- dents of co-op, condo, and HOA commu- nities. With certainty, though, both social programming staff and the participating residents will continue to seek out alterna- tives and adaptations to satisfy their need for interaction and to live in a socially reward- ing environment. Th is virus may be tough, but we’re tougher. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for CooperatorNews, and a published novelist. SOCIAL... continued from page 8 belief,” says Ray. “You want to have peo- ple with history on the board, but you also want new people. You want some diversity to represent the building over- all: old, young, families with children, single people, etc. We happen to have a very functional building, so it’s not a big problem. There are several active com- mittees, and those people can gradu- ate to the board. Sometimes people step down from the board after some years of service, but still remain active on com- mittees. Alternatively, I don’t feel board service should be compulsory. Like any organization, you want people to feel in- vested and get involved.” Roberta points out that term limits can become problematic. “What if no one steps up to take the vacancy?” she asks. “That’s why I have served as treasurer for non-consecutive terms. If no one else was willing to do it, I felt I had to make the commitment.” As concerns compul- sory service, she doesn’t believe that’s a OVERCOMING... continued from page 12 continued on page 20