Chicagoland Cooperator Winter 2020

Winter 2020 CHICAGOCOOPERATOR.COM and in some cases ignited conflict between neighbors and between resi- dents of co-ops and condos, their boards, and their management agents and staff. The stress has extended to the smallest of things. One manager re- ported that when the board of a building she manages decided to ban domestic helpers from entering the property, she received a call from an irate shareholder. The shareholder told her in no uncertain terms that While many condominium associations and co-op corporations hire professional property managers or management firms to handle the routine (and not-so-routine) tasks involved in running a multifam- ily building or HOA, a significant number take the opposite route, eschewing formal management and running their properties themselves. While most of these self-man- aged communities tend to be on the smaller side, self-management can be successful at any size, from a handful of units to hun- dreds. Self-management involves numerous skills, however; everything from accounting to minor home repairs may need to be han- dled directly by the board, rather than being delegated by a manager or firm. Obviously, anyone with a plumbing problem can call a plumber; you don’t have to be a professional manager to intervene when a leak rears its head. But that said, the most successful self- managed properties are those that do have a range of practical skills distributed between owners, and a positive, community-orient- ed view from members. It’s a ‘pitch-in’ sort of atmosphere, and it’s not for everyone. The arrival of COVID-19 has had ma- jor implications for all properties and their management, of course, but the pandemic- related restrictions on close personal con- tact has had a particularly personal effect The day-to-day life of a property manager—while not quite as predictable as that of, say, an accountant—does revolve around certain cyclical tasks, like building inspections, staff meet- ings, and keeping boards informed of what is going on with various projects in their buildings. That’s not to say that there isn’t an occasional emergency, of course; a boiler fails, a visitor slips and falls, a vendor doesn’t deliver. And while any good manager takes these challenges in stride, there’s little that could have prepared managers for what they would face with the arrival of COVID-19. The novel coronavirus is called ‘novel’ for a reason. It’s a newly emerged public health threat that you can’t see, smell, taste, or feel—at least until you’ve contracted it. It’s there, everywhere, and at the beginning of the pandemic, no one knew exactly where. It created paralyzing fear for both our leaders and individuals, particularly in New York City, its first epicenter. In a hyper- urban environment where people were packed in like sardines to begin with, physical distance between loved ones, neighbors, and strangers went from being a luxury to being a requirement. The many nonverbal cues we receive and interpret from facial expressions disappeared behind featureless masks; no more smiles from the porter when he came to deliver a package to your apartment. The mental and emotional stress foisted upon literally millions of people in what many would agree was often already a stressful environment has frayed nerves, shortened tempers, For many buyers, a key factor in decid- ing to purchase a home in a residential community rather than opt for private, single-family ownership is often the appeal of amenities that come with condo, co-op, and HOA living—pools, gyms, clubhouses for social activities, and even on-premises restaurants and retail shops being only a small sample. Suburban and 55+ or ‘active adult’ communities often go even further, with full-time social activity directors on staff to organize planned outings, creative workshops, lecture series, and more. In many communities, there’s never a dull moment. Thanks to the unwelcome arrival of COVID-19, however, this sought-after lifestyle is now in a time of transition. The virus is insidious and spreads with relative ease from person to person, often without the least bit of warning from many who ap- pear asymptomatic. This reality has made casual contact with one’s neighbors more of a threat than a pleasure, and has brought us to an intersection in a Venn diagram where we have to balance social program- ming with social distancing to keep both ourselves and our neighbors safe. Now, as communities both vertical and horizontal are trying to reopen facilities like pools, clubhouses, gyms, theaters, and the like after months of mandatory shut- down, many are facing a new surge in the pandemic, and must develop a plan to keep residents both active and safe. At a Crossroads Amy Gallogly is the corporate opera- tions director for WTS International, a Rockville, Maryland-based lifestyle and amenities management firm that manages such activity-minded properties through- out the east coast of the United States. “It’s Management in Crisis How the Pandemic Changed an Industry BY A.J. SIDRANSKY Self-Management in Stressful Times Some Communities Go it Alone—Others Outsource BY A J SIDRANSKY Social Programming vs. Social Distancing Communities Are Getting Creative BY AJ SIDRANSKY continued on page 10 continued on page 6 205 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10016 • CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED continued on page 6