January 19, 2021 News
The Promise of 2021: A Letter from the President of ACMO
ACMO Continues to Support You
Dear ACMO Member,
We hope you and your family enjoyed a safe and enjoyable holiday season and got some well-deserved rest after an unprecedented year dominated by the pandemic which redefined how we conduct business and manage our communities.
The New Year is upon us and unfortunately, the pandemic continues to present us with challenges. Recent modelling data suggested Ontario is in crisis and in danger of overwhelming hospital ICUs so the Ontario government enacted a second Provincial State of Emergency effective January 14th. The Stay-at-Home Order and enhanced enforcement measures are designed to reduce mobility and help address the COVID-19 crisis.
Under the new order, property management and maintenance services are still considered essential services and all of the practices we have been employing to protect our communities since last March still apply. In other words, not much has changed, however, it is worth reminding managers of the state of emergency instructions, summarized here:
- Have staff work remotely except where necessary and minimize work in common areas during the State of Emergency.
- A ‘Stay at Home Order’ is in effect meaning residents must stay home, only going out for necessities (food, medical care, work, etc.) and limiting close contact to members of their own household. The maximum number of people that can gather outdoors is five.
- Continue operating in compliance with the advice, recommendations, and instructions of public health officials.
- Ensure masks or face coverings that cover the mouth, nose and chin are worn by any persons indoors in public/common areas and maintain physical distancing of two metres apart.
- Screen any workers or essential visitors entering the work environment in accordance with the COVID-19 Screening Tool for Workplaces.
- Keep indoor or outdoor recreational amenities closed.
- Workers wear personal protective equipment including eye protection if required to come within two metres of another person not wearing a facemask or separated by an impermeable barrier.
- Limit number of people in rooms open the public to 50% of capacity so two metres of physical distancing can be maintained.
- Ensure that equipment, washrooms, locker rooms, change rooms, showers accessible to the public are cleaned and disinfected frequently to maintain a sanitary condition.
- Prepare, post and make available a COVID-19 safety plan.
For more detail on the workplace safety measures and State of Emergency restrictions visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
As we did throughout the initial wave of the pandemic, ACMO will continue serving as a clearinghouse of pandemic information to help keep you up to date on best practices as they relate to condominium management.
Notwithstanding the lockdown and the devastating impacts the pandemic, at ACMO we are working very hard to implement our new strategic plan and pivot our operations to deliver outstanding value to our members, albeit virtually. Some of the initiatives we are pursuing this year include:
- Hosting 13 events so members can network, keep abreast of latest trends in our industry and gain valuable knowledge and education to deliver better service to your clients.
- Expanding the size and reach of our membership community and membership programs and establishing local ambassadors to assist in membership development.
- Better promoting and building more value into the RCM designation so you can differentiate yourself in the marketplace.
- Making our RCM exams and refresher course more accessible by offering them online.
- Improving the quality of our continuing education offerings to better align with the CMRAO competency profile and introducing Certificate Programs this fall.
- A series of digital and print advertising and PR campaigns to promote ACMO and position the RCM and ACMO 2000 designations as the gold standard in our industry.
- Ongoing efforts to influence and advise government policy relating to condominium management.
The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines gives us hope that we will eventually get the upper hand on the pandemic and life will return to normal, perhaps this fall. In the meantime, just as we did throughout 2020, we must all remain vigilant in following the advice of the government and local health officials to keep our condominium communities safe.
Until we can once again meet in person, take care and stay safe!
Sincerely,
Dean McCabe
ACMO President
