Our HOA decided to close the pools. They are looking into possible dues rebates but made the point that the overall cost is something like 3 dollars per household per month (less than 40/year), and there are still costs they are required to incur such as basic maintenance.
I’ll be surprised if we get as much as 10 dollars back.
My condo association has the gym & club closed and the pool open now subject to the specific & draconian restrictions of our County emergency orders. The pool had been closed for 2 months to comply with earlier orders.
We haven’t had any political whining for folks wanting rebates. But our maintenance costs don’t go down just because the residents can’t use it.
Ultimately, people are not paying for admission to the pool (or other amenities). Like taxes, everyone is paying to own it and maintain it whether they use it or not. And whether that non-use is voluntary or mandatory.
This is actually a pretty solid plan for a business that was failing anyway:
And less risk than arson!
Pretty good chance he was from PA. Check out the Secretary of Health sometime.
Yeah, we aren’t saving that much by not opening. I’m still for the rebate, mostly because we can afford it — I just moved in so I’m new to the HOA, but we have plenty of money in the bank - a jaw dropping amount, equal to about 4 years worth of dues.
Except for the one asshole, we haven’t seen lots of pushback. And the asshole is more obsessed with the fact the the HOA has the right to make the decision than the actual decision. Yeah, dude — we have a board of directors just like every other HOA and corporation in the USA. Deal with it,
But I know a lot of people are disappointed- we have lots of families with small children that really wanted the extra activities. So I want to do the rebate.
This incidence dates several months back, when medical authorities were still recommending that the general public not wear masks, and when stories about transmission methods were flooding the media (“virus can survive for days on plastic and stainless steel”)
My wife went grocery shopping. It was our family’s first major expedition out of the house, into a possibly crowded indoor area. She wore nitrile gloves (she has boxes of them due to a skin condition), glasses, and an N95 mask (I had 5 masks, in already opened packages, that I’d bought for woodworking.)
When she returned, my daughter and I wanted a report. Did people practice distancing? Well, just one person had invaded her space. A dude had approached her in a store aisle and said, “So, are you like a doctor?”
Her response, I thought, was perfect — she didn’t attempt to justify or explain, she just said, “Don’t be a dick”, and moved her cart away from the guy as quickly as possible.
We had been worried about unthinking Covidiots, but instead got an informed, but self-righteous Covidiot.
nitrile gloves… n95 facemask … she sounds like a doctor to me !
I’m the president of my HOA. Having about 4 years of dues in the bank is probably about right for sound management.
Assuming they’re doing it right …
That isn’t money saved up to spend on frivoloties, improvements, or to pay for dues holidays. It’s properly accounting for the daily wear and tear on things like roads & roofs and pools that need major high-dollar rehab but only once every 20 years. e.g. Rather than hitting the owners for a 2 million dollar one-time assessment for new roads every 20 years you accumulate $100K/year for 20 years into savings towards those new roads. That way everyone pays as they go for the age they’re putting on them and the use they’re getting out of them all along.
Multiply that savings effort times a dozen-plus different big-ticket long-life items and pretty soon it’s a real big number. And becomes even more amazing compared to any one owner’s personal budget the larger the complex gets. 50 units vs 1,500 units makes a big difference.
Given all the common-area things a condo association or HOA owns and maintains, and what your risk of a major casualty loss is, it’s not unheard of for a properly funded association to have even more years of annual budget in the reserves. Anything much less than 2 years’ operating budget is scary; you’ve probably got large unfunded mandates coming at you whether you realize that or not.
My wife and I interpreted it as a not-too-subtle dig at her for using a mask, when those were supposed to be reserved for medical personnel. (And if the mask packages had been unopened, I might well have donated them to a nearby hospital.)
My wife was not dressed in scrubs, and if the question was sincere there was no reason to specify “doctor” rather than “nurse” or “healthcare worker”. The phrase, “like a doctor” seemed dismissive, and at that time (as now) there was no excuse for invading a stranger’s personal space without warning or permission.
Look lady, do you see those arrows on the floor? Don’t look so irritated that everyone else is going the other way. In fact, why don’t you get your head out of your ass and pay attention to your environment?
Don’t be elitist. You are assuming everyone can afford a cellphone and has been non-judgementally mentored in how to use those kind of functions.
Don’t be dismissive or insensitive. Assume the best of everyone. Enjoy your good fortune. You may be blessed with a store and their app does ‘just’ do ‘XY&Z’ easily and seamlessly. Wal-Mart is the best option I have and their quality is laborious and uneven. I sweated hours the first time I tried to use it, takes hours and the app is not at all intuitive. My other option was a regional chain and I have absolutely given up on trying to use their app as recently as 15 minutes ago. Some stores don’t take Food Assistance EBT cards, almost unbelievable in these days of rampant un- and underemployment. My best advice, be kind, we are all doing the best we can. I will do my best to assume that of you.
My daughter works in a doctor’s office. A patient called, hurt his knee, wanted the doc to take a look at it. My daughter started to give him the checkin protocols, and when she got to the part about wearing a mask, he said he wouldn’t come in. When she asked why, he said, “I won’t wear a mask. It’s my choice.”
Okay, tough guy. Call back when the choice comes down to wearing a mask or pain so bad you can’t walk. By the way, this weekend is the 4th of July. Good luck finding an orthopedist.
I just got back from the pharmacy–a popular nationwide chain. A big sign at the front door–impossible to miss–says in big letters: “Wearing a mask is MANDATORY to enter this store!” The mask-less couple in front of me ignored it. The sole cashier was busy with customers, and there was no other staff to be seen. I told the pharmacy tech–because on that issue I’m THAT person–and she said, “Oh, we can’t require it.”
I said, “Oh. I thought since it said ‘MANDATORY,’ you could.” She said no. Didn’t seem at all concerned.
The governor made mask-wearing mandatory in public places. Why can’t the pharmacy enforce it?
They could if they chose to. I have a big sign on the door to my business that I’ve replaced several times with stricter, more ominous versions. Currently it says, “YOU MUST BE WEARING A MASK TO ENTER, OTHERWISE THE POLICE WILL BE CALLED”
I’m now going days at a time without mask complaints, but when I get one I blow up. “I don’t think people should have to wear” “THEN GET OUT, I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT”
Fucking morons.
I like this sign. Specific to vintage stores, but a good point:
They can choose to fuss at the customer and be told to go **** themselves.
They can choose to fuss at the customer and be threatened with a knife or a gun.
They can choose to call 911 and be told “Too busy; sorry.”
They can hope the sign works, and for anyone it doesn’t, put up with their masklessness & fume silently.
Not a lot of good options in that list is there?
Just like speed limits and pressing through red lights, the US public will be only as law-abiding as it wants to be. The police agencies are far too few in number to alter the facts on the ground.
If the American public wants to kill an extra 500K Americans, there’s not too damn much I (or you) can do about it. Other than do our best to ensure a) We’re not one of the dead, and b) We’re making the smallest possible contribution to the dead.
How about if a store employee follows the maskless customer around the store, (at a distance of 6 feet) ringing a bell and shouting “UNCLEAN! WARNING! UNCLEAN!”
I do not see
They can refuse to do business with the person.
That’s what I’ve been doing. It hurts me financially, but it has been what I’ve chosen to do. I care about the health of my employees.
Yet businesses DO enforce other public health regulations. Having the law behind you makes it easier to approach customers because you can do so with the implication, “Hey, it’s the law. What can I do?” Maybe businesses should have to risk getting a lower board of health rating or even temporary closure if they don’t enforce the mask policy.
If businesses want to avoid having irate customers, letting people in without masks won’t do so, as now THIS customer is irate.