Pools and Other Amenities

If you look above the list of discussion topics, you should see a magnifying glass with Search behind it. You may have to get creative about the words you use, but should be able to come up with a few conversations by typing in COVID.

That said, we closed our clubhouse last year, but there was an annual meeting two weeks ago - along with a lot of snow. I usually attend, but the weather kept me inside. I know everyone was required to wear masks and sit six feet apart, which should have been quite easy because our annual meeting is poorly attended even without a pandemic. The proxies contain language authorizing the board to cast votes on the owner's behalf and I suspect nearly everyone turned that in. A summary of the meeting should appear on our website next month.

That's the only amenity we have, as we got rid of our pool several years ago. You'll find a number of conversations on this website about opening and closing the pool, expenses in paying for a monitor to keep track of the number of people in the area to ensure social distancing, etc. Some people have fitness centers and they had similar issues. In general, I've suggested that people start with contacting their local health department to see what the rules currently are - for example, if a gym is limited to 25% of capacity at a time, you may want to do the same for your fitness center or pool.

You'll also have to address disinfecting the area after use, which may mean you have to hire people to wipe down the equipment or make sure plenty is on hand for the homeowners to do it themselves. A monitor could also help enforce the mask rule.

All this will cost more money, so your board has to decide if it wants to spend it. If there's no money in the budget for it, you may have to consider whether the amenities can open at all. If homeowners squawk, show them the numbers and ask if they're willing to pay a surcharge to cover those services. Even with that, you may have to ask if users should sign a waiver in case they get sick and think their being in the association pool or clubhouse was the cause. For that part, talk to your association master insurance and association attorney for their recommendations.

We opened the pool last year a month later than usual, with limited hours and capacity. The residents pitched a huge fit and a bunch of them put in backyard pools which seemed an expensive and extreme reaction, but to each his own. This year we will open as usual. It's hard to maintain rigorous standards when you live in a state that doesn't have any restrictions in place.

Our community will open its pool under normal operating procedures in mid-May 2021. We restricted furniture in 2020 and set attendance limits which were never tested as we weren't overcrowded.

Hi Shawn,

It really depends on your state, and your association's ability to keep amenities clean and enforce protocols. Many HOAs have reopened amenities, but have limited max capacity and hours of operation. They have also spent more on cleaning and supplies. For gyms and pools, you could consider trying a signup system to help prevent overcrowding.