Guidelines For COVID
Dear Community Association Leaders and Managers,
With 2020 now behind us, I’d like to share my admiration for the volunteer leaders and community managers who kept Georgia’s communities functioning through 2020’s unprecedented challenges and served the over two million Georgians that live in community associations, all while adhering to guidelines for COVID. Despite the uncertainty of 2020, we are proud to say the state of community associations is stronger than ever.
COVID Message
You, and the professionals who partner with you, worked tirelessly to meet the changing needs of your communities.In the face of evolving government orders and guidelines, and amidst the COVID message, you and your fellow volunteer leaders and managers:
· Made difficult decisions regarding closing amenities;
· Established creative ways to handle the sharp increases in grocery, food, and other deliveries;
· Worked with owners impacted by the virus through sickness and job loss; and,
· Moved community meetings and voting to virtual platforms;
· Among many other accomplishments.
While board members and managers navigated the novel challenges and adhered to guidelines for COVID, I worked with other CAI legislative volunteers to lobby, testify, and help draft three new laws passed by the Georgia legislature during the pandemic.
Two of these laws benefit associations — the Georgia COVID-19 Pandemic Business Safety Act: that affords immunity from liability for community associations and others; and a change to Georgia’s Condominium Act providing new insurance policy disclosure requirements for water damage.
We also worked to limit the negative impact of a third law — a change to Georgia’s Property Owners Association Act: prohibiting adoption of certain leasing restrictions of six months or more.
These new laws were in addition to the more than 16 Executive Orders issued by Georgia’s Governor providing mandates for all nonprofit operations, including community associations, during Georgia’s ongoing public health state of emergency.
As we all look forward to 2021, Georgia’s community associations and their professional partners must continue to stay informed in order to preserve property values and ensure a strong sense of community for their owners.
You can stay informed through our client alerts, read latest COVID messages, and by following our blog.
The attorneys of NowackHoward will continue to stay on the forefront of Georgia’s community association laws and be a resource for you.
Very best regards,
Julie McGhee Howard
Managing Partner
NowackHoward, LLC
Julie@NowackHoward.com