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The Covid-19 crisis will bring big social consequences, which will radically change both our human relations and the spaces these inhabit. As the concentrated manifestation of the contemporary world they are, cities are going to be hit by this shifting paradigm.
Urban spaces will have to readjust their design and their infrastructures to the new reality. Also our social interactions will change. We will no longer have so much interaction with others when we go out. Some cultures –the warmest ones– will even have to change more dramatically. We wonder: What will happen with the two or three kisses, traditional in some Southern European countries? Or with the shake of hands, used in Anglosaxon cultures? This situation of “physical distance” will lead us to develop a more virtual life, where online platforms will become, even more, the new public sphere.
How is the future in our cities going to be? How is this crisis going to transform our public space and social life in cities? We do not know yet. The only thing we can do right now is to assess what is happening and learn from the outcomes in order to make cities better in the future.
A big part of urban planning’s history has consisted of managing our way out of infectious diseases and pandemics. Today, Covid-19 is challenging urbanization again, re-opening the debate regarding which city model is preferable: urban sprawl or urban densification. While densely populated and hyper-connected cities are more efficient and sustainable, they can amplify pandemic risk of transmission.
Thus, cities –especially densely populated ones– will need to create and adapt public environments and infrastructures to be livable, safe, agile and adaptable. Hence, tactical urbanism –short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions– can play a big role in shaping and implementing pilot projects. Likewise, community involvement is essential as it allows for the acquisition of local knowledge while ensuring public compliance with policy decisions.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, both urban facilities —public transport, leisure, shops, etc.— and public spaces will have to adapt so all preventive measures are fulfilled.
Indoors, regulations will be more rigorous: cleaning and disinfection will be done with higher frequency, new measures such as hand sanitizers use or shoe sole cleaning will be implemented, and their capacity will need to be reduced to comply with physical distancing. Additionally, protective equipment —masks, gloves, screens, sensors, etc.— and access control methods will be installed to avoid any risk of transmission and infection.
Stay-at-home policies are exacerbating inequalities as large parts of the worldwide population live in slums or do not have a home at all. To top it off, common places to find shelter or bathrooms —libraries, gyms— are closed. Consequently, as the coronavirus spreads, these groups are the most vulnerable.
This leads to the conclusion that, after Covid-19, the design of indoor environments will have to change. If people are to spend more time indoors, homes will need to accommodate more uses. Apartments will have to be properly ventilated and better lit in order to improve living conditions and avoid entirely sealed buildings recirculating pathogens through their systems. Shared spaces will need to be rethought as well.
The pandemic affected almost every aspect of people’s life, and at the moment, going back to old habits does not seem a possible scenario. So what will the “new normality” look like?
Local and international mobility will be monitored and controlled, while cities are already trying to reorganize flows, reschedule working and school activities to avoid concentrations during rush hour. We will have to get used to new routines and social behaviors, which could radically change our way to use the public space.
The psychological effects of stay-at-home policies and physical distancing will be strong, especially in those cultures where gatherings and open-air activities are at the core of social life. Everything considered normal until a few months ago could dramatically change, not only because of the new rules and restrictions, but also because of people’s fear to physically interact with others.
The “new normal” will also have a direct effect on the use of urban spaces, in a context where there will be a drastic shift from developing social life outdoors to being more confined. A higher consumption of Internet-based activities (online shopping, telemedicine, macro-events, arts and leisure, etc.) will become more usual. Despite the big challenges this shift will bring, it also represents an opportunity for all these activities to reinvent themselves by means of innovation and new technologies.
The counterside of this new virtual life’s technological high dependence will widen social inequality. As not everyone counts with appropriate Internet connection and digital devices, this crisis is an opportunity to rethink the future feasibility of telematic education and work models improvised during quarantine. In the applicability to the “new normal”, it will be essential to set up regulations that guarantee social inclusion.
The health crisis has clearly revealed the vulnerabilities of the most disadvantaged groups. The need to respond to their necessities during the lockdown has demonstrated to be even more pressing than before. Many municipalities developed plans to support low-income families, elders or precarious workers, but at the same time bottom-up mobilization of neighbors’ associations and self-managed organizations revealed to be very important assets for local communities.
Nevertheless, as the lockdown ends, the structural socioeconomic problems that the coronavirus has revealed will stay. This demonstrates the importance of establishing safe ways to assist elderly people and to protect precarious workers or domestic caregivers, as well as supporting parents in reconciling their professional and personal life. Achieving this will represent a major step towards a more resilient society.
Social inequalities and class differences have manifested more obviously – with “essential” workers having to go out to work; housing conditions being very different for everyone during the confinement or the impossibility to access new technologies for several social groups. Issues that have made even more clear the fact that we live in an unequal society that is susceptible to collapse in front of any crisis.
If in the last decades the way how governments and corporations gather data from individuals for Big Data purposes has been on the agenda of all discussions, the Covid-19 crisis will widen the debate. The need for more discipline and new regulations can inevitably lead towards a situation of social control. In this new context, there will be a need to find a balance between establishing safety, health and well-being for everyone, but respecting the individual and collective freedom at the same time.
However, despite the impact Covid-19 is going to have in cities, we should really consider this crisis as an opportunity to rethink our cities and create more resilient communities and livable environments.
By
Tags: Condo and HOA Common Area Issues, Condo and HOA Laws, Management News
Preparing for hurricane season is always a daunting task for many Floridians, but with the coronavirus pandemic adding a few extra barriers, your preparations will likely require a few extra steps this year.
According to Eric Alberts, Orlando Health’s corporate director of emergency preparedness, thanks to COVID-19, there are quite a few extra things you’ll need to take into consideration and plan for before a storm.
For example, will you be able to find the supplies needed for your storm kit with stores sold out of certain items due to shoppers hoarding them during the pandemic? And if you’re one of the countless Floridians who is out of work because of the health crisis, how can you afford to properly prepare your home for a storm or repair damage still left behind from a previous one? Oh, and let’s not forget the price of insurance. What about shelters? What will those look like now that the CDC is asking everyone to practice social distancing?
We know those are probably just a few of the concerns you have, so News 6 anchor Ginger Gadsden spoke to Alberts to tackle them one by one and find out everything Floridians should consider when preparing for a storm.
Supplies
Let’s start by talking supplies.
Of course, you’ll need the items that have always been recommended in a hurricane kit – you can find a complete hurricane preparedness checklist available for download here – but that’s not all, according to Alberts.
“You can’t just think about having at least 72 hours of food and water, medications, flashlights, batteries and all that other stuff. You also have to think about your health,” Alberts said. You’re going to have to think through masks and whether you have additional masks, wipes or sanitary wipes. You’ve got to think through gloves in certain situations, protective clothing, in some regard.”
Some of the additional items Alberts listed, including masks and gloves, have been difficult to come across because of the coronavirus pandemic, which is why he recommends starting your supply search sooner rather than later.
“Start now and don’t wait until the hurricane’s here because you definitely won’t be able to get it then,” Alberts said. “And unfortunately, I don’t believe that these supply shortages are going to go away anytime soon. I think they’re going to last through at least the summer at some point.”
State officials have said they’re also taking this into consideration as they revisit their plans for hurricane season.
Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz said his agency has arranged to add face masks to the state’s stockpile of storm supplies.
“We’re going to have 10 million masks in reserve by the time the hurricane season starts,” Moskowitz said. “And we signed a long-term deal with Honeywell to help get us 12 million N95 masks over the next year directly from the manufacturing plant, with a significant portion of that being delivered during hurricane season.”
Alberts said that even if the personal protective equipment shortages let up, it could still be difficult to find the right supplies because of shoppers who hoard them when they are available in fear of not being able to find them next time they need them (same goes for toilet paper, as we all know by now).
“Even if the items do begin to hit the market or go back on the market, some people will still do hoarding, they’ll still end up buying supplies for their families and their friends. They know they can’t get it and that will put a strain on the system for quite some time,” Alberts said.
Alberts said when it comes to hurricanes, the bottom line is: You need a lot of supplies. Add COVID-19 into the mix and you need even more. His best advice? Start gathering those items now, because they may only be more difficult to find when you actually need them.
Preparing your loved ones
Alberts said it’s important to not only get supplies and plans in order for yourself but also those with whom you live and others you might care for, especially if they have any special needs.
With many still feeling on edge because of the pandemic, it may be difficult to have the conversation, but Alberts said it’s important you don’t want to prepare your family’s emergency plan.
“Now’s the best time to get your kit and your plan together. So what I mean by that is, you know, you live with others, whether it be your significant other, your family or friends. Just get them together and just sit down and talk to them,” Alberts said.
While building your plan, Alberts said you should ask yourselves, “What is it we’re going to do if we experience a tropical storm or hurricane soon or later in this season?”
From there, he recommends you start writing things down and finalizing a game plan that you’ll all be ready to put into action at any given time.
“Whatever you talked about or you wrote down, make sure you actually do it. People need plans, they need education, they need training. And if you don’t have that, then you feel weakness, you feel fear, and you feel susceptible to rumors, and chaos and stress,” Alberts said.
He said having that plan in place and knowing everyone is on the same page will help ease some of the anxieties that could come with uncertainty in the future.
If anyone in your family has special health needs, Alberts said you’ll want to keep those in mind and include any extra steps you might need to care for them in the event of an emergency in your family’s plan.
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Alberts recommends individuals with special needs register with the Florida Special Needs Registry.
He said doing so will inform local officials that a member of the community is at risk and allows them to reach out before a storm and make sure the individual with special needs is safe. Officials can also reach out to those who are registered to follow up with them after a storm.
Caring for the elderly
Just as you should for other members of your family, Alberts recommends keeping the care of any elderly family members a priority in your preparedness plan.
Get any medication and other needed supplies in order ahead of time so they’re ready if and when your family needs to evacuate.
If your loved one is a resident at a long-term care facility, Alberts recommends having storm prep conversations with those who work at the facility, especially in the months following the COVID-19 pandemic, with visitations temporarily paused to protect the health of the most vulnerable population.
“Well, it really depends on where we’re at in response to COVID-19. They may still be in the status of not allowing others into their facilities. So if that’s the case, you really end up having to trust the management and the administration of that facility to do the right thing for your loved one. And you always have the right to call them and ask for their administration,” Alberts said.
He said you should ask the administration at the facility about their plans for emergencies so that, if you’re uncomfortable with them, you have time to make changes.
“I hate to say it this way, but put some pressure on them if you don’t feel comfortable with their actions. You know, if there’s a tropical storm or hurricane coming directly at that facility and you don’t feel safe with them being there, then you can really impress upon them how you feel and that your loved one really needs to be moved somewhere else,” Alberts said.
Alberts said don’t be afraid to call and ask to speak with the facilities’ leadership because the person at the front desk may not have all the answers.
He said to call and ask if you should drop off any extra tissues, sanitary or moisturizing cloths or even medication to let them know you’re planning for the care of your family member and they should step up their planning efforts, too.
Preparing your home
It’s not uncommon to drive around Florida and see blue tarps on homes months after a major storm hits part of the area. Something you don’t want to see, though, according to Alberts: Blue tarps still being used as we enter the next storm season.
Alberts said Floridians should work to have any home repairs completed by the time hurricane season arrives so that their home can better weather the next storm.
With many Floridians unemployed due to the pandemic, covering those repair costs may be difficult to impossible for anyone struggling to make ends meet.
Alberts’ advice is to financially plan as much as possible and look for any opportunities to save so that you have some extra funds available in the event of an emergency.
“One of the recommendations is to have additional monetary savings with you so that you’re able to pay for response and recovery efforts,” Alberts said.
Some people will opt out of insurance to save some money when their budget is tight, but Alberts said that presents its own set of risks and could actually cost you more down the road, should a storm damage your home.
“When you’re low on financial or monetary funds, you often think, ‘Hey, can I just not pay this insurance?’ or, ‘Hey, I don’t need this anymore,’ but with that comes a lot of additional risks or hazards or threats to your own financial well-being, right?” Alberts said. “So if you have damage at your home, or even your business, how are you going to go ahead and pay for that if you don’t have the necessary insurance?”
Safely seeking shelter
If you’ve ever visited a storm shelter while a hurricane was threatening Florida, you know they can get pretty crowded.
With social distancing now required or strongly encouraged in most places and COVID-19 still expected to be around through hurricane season, public shelters will likely look different than they have in the past, according to Alberts.
“When you think of shelters for hurricanes, and you’ve seen pictures or videos before, you’ll probably see a lot of mass gatherings of people for extended periods of time. Well, we can’t really do that now with COVID-19,” Alberts said. “So, you know, local, state and federal partners are really looking at the sheltering models to say, ‘Hey, what can and should we do in our shelters (to) minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the shelter as well?’”
Moskowitz said Florida emergency officials have been working with FEMA to revise their plans for evacuations and shelters.
In early May, state officials said they were looking at protocols for shelters that range from separating people based on temperature checks to non-congregated sheltering in hotels.
FEMA has since released its COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance for the 2020 Hurricane Season, which outlines how the agency plans to adapt its response and recovery efforts in light of COVID-19.
Alberts said when it comes to evacuating to a shelter, Floridians should keep the following tips in mind:
“If it’s a shelter, just make sure you follow social distancing with COVID-19 and just take your extra precautionary measures with your personal protective equipment. Make sure that you’ve got your required medications and you’ve got your legal documents, any kind of insurance and identification. Make sure those are in a waterproof sealable bag because you don’t want to be hunting for those whenever it’s time to leave,” Alberts said.
Plan ahead
Alberts said planning for a hurricane requires a lot of preparation and supplies, and planning for storm season with a pandemic still underway requires even more. The most important thing Floridians can do to make sure they’re ready for hurricane season, according to Alberts, is plan ahead.
“The recommendation there is to start building your plan now, start building your kit now. Don’t wait until a hurricane is knocking at the door so to speak, you know, start the efforts now to get the supplies that you need. Don’t wait.”
Tags: Condo and HOA Reserves, Management News
Ronnie Giles 561-602-8660
Sr. Account Manager Florida East Coast
CAI Business Partner Certified
#CGC 1517755 / #CFC 1429221
Lakes, ponds and wetlands are valuable resources for boating and recreation, fishing, drinking water, stormwater collection, aesthetic beauty and wildlife habitat. But they also serve as common breeding grounds for pesky insects like aquatic midge flies, often referred to as “midge bugs” or “blind mosquitoes.” Midge flies belong to a very large and diverse family of aquatic insects. While often thought of as the “cousin” of mosquitoes, midges don’t bite, sting, suck blood or transmit disease. They can, however, become a terrible nuisance and trigger allergies or respiratory issues.
Midges thrive near aquatic resources because their egg, larvae and pupae stages must occur in water. They have evolved to populate and prosper under difficult environmental conditions commonly occurring in many of our community lakes and ponds that have excessive nutrient loading, murky water, organic muck accumulation and low dissolved oxygen levels. These same water quality problems that favor midges also prevent midge predators such as fish and other aquatic insects from preying on them. This allows midges to form monocultures across a lake’s bottom and reproduce in extremely large numbers often exceeding 40,000 larvae per square meter. 1,000 larvae per square meter is considered the threshold for nuisance levels. Out-of-control midge larvae populations can become a terrible annoyance, inconvenience and even a health hazard to waterside residents when they metamorphose into adult flies.
Managing midge fly populations below nuisance levels requires an integrated approach to achieve successful long-term control—starting with bathymetric mapping of the habitat and a professional larvae assessment. Midge larvae surveys are crucial tools to determine which midge species are present and how to effectively manage them.
Blood midge larvae, for example, thrive in bottom sediments and must be targeted with an ingestible larvicide. On the other hand, phantom or ‘ghost’ midge larvae flow freely throughout the water column and are targeted with a growth-regulating hormone that prevents them from becoming healthy adults.
Balance water quality:
Introduce aeration:
Manage fish populations:
Cultivate a healthy shoreline:
Find Your SolutionLooking for sustainable long-term control of your algae or aquatic weed problems? Considering fisheries management assistance? Need help with water quality testing? Trying to find the perfect pond aeration system for your aquatic ecosystem?
Whatever your lake and pond management needs may be, SOLitude Lake Management has the answer. Simply fill out the form ( Click Find Your Solution ) and let us know how we can help. We look forward to helping you find your lake or pond management solution.
Tags: Building Maintenance, Condo and HOA Common Area Issues, Landscaping Articles, Management News, Members Articles
There is no reason that permanent sanitizer stations shouldn’t remain in place in high traffic areas including near front desks, in elevators and near access screens.
The days of having dozens of lounge chairs at the pool and tightly packed gyms should be over.
Boards may start using a reservation system for certain amenities to better enforce social distancing.
Boards who have been lax in the past about prohibiting dual usage by unit owners and their tenants should tighten up those restrictions.
Unauthorized short-term rental activity and guest usage should also be scrutinized to reduce density in the common areas.
The days of having an open door policy in the Association office should likely cease.
Some residents like to congregate in the association office for a variety of reasons but that activity was not terribly helpful in ordinary times let alone now.
Inquiries can be handled via email, phone or by attending a meeting.
Digitizing association records to conduct online document inspections as well as holding online votes will not only maximize your efficiencies but can reduce the disputes which erupt with traditional voting, inspection and meeting protocols.
South Florida continues to be under movement restrictions due to efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus. Although the state began on May 4 to open in phases, South Florida will have to wait longer due to higher rates of infections and deaths. Here are the key things you need to know about the situation.
by Kaye Bender Rembaum
In response to our article below, we have received inquiries from readers regarding the ability of an association located in Palm Beach County to use volunteers to provide the pool monitoring as required by Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 5.
In relevant part, the Palm Beach County Order provides that as to the re-opening of community swimming pools the association must have “[o]ne (1) or more facility staff or management be present at each facility location to monitor and ensure compliance with the [Order].” There is no definitive instruction in the Order as to how a community association is to comply this particular requirement. However, based upon the plain meaning of the words, the association should have personnel from management or association staff physically present at the association’s pool facilities during its operating hours to monitor the use of the pool facilities to ensure compliance with the Order.
Kaye Bender Rembaum attorneys Michael S. Bender and Jeffrey A. Rembaum will be a part of a panel discussion presented by Castle Group, in Episode 2 of “Association Continuity and Other COVID-19 Concerns.” There will be a special focus on the re-opening of community amenities.
Panelists include:
Craig Vaughan, Castle Group President
Michael S. Bender, Esq., BCS
Jeffrey A. Rembaum, Esq., BCS
Brendan T. Lynch, AIP AAI, Plastridge Insurance, President
In addition, based upon an April 28, 2020, posting from the Palm Beach County website, it is suggested that an association could also appoint a committee of community volunteers to perform the pool monitoring. The issue created by the Palm Beach County Website posting is that the Order required “facility staff or management” to provide the pool monitoring. The term “volunteers” was not not used.
With that in mind, if an association located in Palm Beach County decides to use volunteers to provide the pool monitoring function, then the following should be taken into consideration:
1) If a resident who contracts Covid-19 later sues the association alleging a breach of the Order somehow led to their contracting of the virus, then will the association be in a position to show compliance with the Order when, in fact, volunteers were used? While such a lawsuit is remote, given today’s litigious environment it is not out the question.
2) Does the association have legal defense coverage which would at least provide for assignment of defense counsel so that the association will not have to go out of pocket in the event its other insurance policies do not provide coverage?
3) Does the association have insurance coverage in place to cover acts of volunteers?
4) Does the association have volunteer workers comp type coverage in place?
Although not required by the Order, we suggest that the association consider conspicuously posting or having available as a handout a summary of the CDC Social Distancing Guidelines and the Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 5 as related to use of community pools. The following links are provided for your reference:
Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 5
The Palm Beach County Website April 28 posting related to volunteers
Remember to also discuss the re-opening plan with your association’s legal counsel.
Kaye Bender Rembaum, Attorneys at Law
The law firm of Kaye Bender Rembaum, with its 19 lawyers and offices in Broward, Palm Beach and Hillsborough Counties, is a full service law firm devoted to the representation of more than 1,200 community and commercial associations, developers, and their members throughout the State of Florida. Under the direction of attorneys Robert L. Kaye, Michael S. Bender and Jeffrey A. Rembaum, the law firm of Kaye Bender Rembaum strives to provide its clients with an unparalleled level of personalized and professional service that takes into account their clients’ individual needs and financial concerns.
Tags: Condo and HOA, Condo and HOA Board of Directors, Condo and HOA Common Area Issues, Law and Legal, Management News, Members Articles
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person-to-person. The main infection route is between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
It also may be possible that a person can contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. Currently, transmission from surfaces is not thought to be the main way the virus spread, however the CDC’s April 13th update remarked: “COVID-19 is a new disease and we are still learning about how it spreads and the severity of illness it causes.”
As mentioned on our homepage, recent studies suggest that the CVOID-19 virus may remain viable and infective on surfaces for hours to days, depending on the surface material type (fabric, tile, steel, etc.).
Thorough cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces are recommended by the CDC and believed to be essential in preventing the spread of infection.
The presence or absence of the viral genetic material on environmental surfaces can now be directly tested with EMSL’s new CVOID-19 molecular-based test and used to demonstrate effectiveness of cleaning protocols.
Air Quality Assessors of Florida only performs the physical sampling of surfaces recommended to test by request of our client and in no way can guarantee the entire site is clear from COVID 19. AQA sends all samples to an accredited laboratory for analysis.
Call us or visit our website to schedule your assessment or request more information. We will get back to you with 24 hours.
by Chris Cooney
Senior Sales Executive — Concierge Plus
T: 305-850-7676 x128 — M: 786-667-0056
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