Progress in a Pandemic – May 4

Compared to this time last month, things are looking up! While an announcement is expected later this week regarding plans to gradually reopen the province, this is tempered by caution due to the danger of going back to a new ‘normal’ too quickly. Looking forward, we expect a slow easing of restrictions and will therefore continue to follow a socially responsible approach of connecting carefully. This means that our offices will remain closed to the public for the foreseeable future and meetings will continue to be held via various not-in-person methods. As the situation changes, we will review and adjust our current operating procedures with a focus on the safety of our staff and community.

There are a few specific items to touch on in this update:

Proline Academy Webinars

We are excited to announce a special webinar featuring CHOA’s Executive Director Tony Gioventu on Wednesday, May 27th. We will be sending an invitation to our council members to register and then will extend the invitation to all clients. This will be our biggest Proline Academy session yet, with room for 500 attendees!

We are also holding our first webinar for tenants of Proline managed properties this Thursday, in an effort to share information and maintain communication in a changing and complex situation for both tenants and landlords.

Mail and Banking Delays

While our internal processes such as cheque runs and deposits continue on a regular schedule, we are seeing significant delays in banking processing and Canada Post deliveries due to increased volume and decreased staffing. This may impact how quickly your strata fee payments are processed, how quickly cheques are received from our Payables team, or when you receive mailed information regarding your strata. You can find more information regarding mail deliveries on the Canada Post site.

NEW BC Emergency Benefit

The provincial government announced on May 1st that people whose ability to work has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can now apply for the BC Emergency Benefit for workers, a tax free, one time $1,000 payment for BC residents.

Electronic General Meetings

A ministerial order issued by the BC Government on April 17th permits all strata corporations, whether they have a pertinent bylaw or not, to hold general meetings by electronic means until the state of emergency made as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic expires or is cancelled. While electronic general meetings are now permitted, there are many considerations and procedural challenges inherent in the process. After reviewing this information, we have come to the conclusion that the freedom to hold electronic general meetings is hampered by the lack of technology for doing so correctly, and therefore, we generally counsel our clients to avoid holding electronic general meetings. Council members can reach out to their property manager directly to discuss this further, as each strata corporation has unique circumstances and needs.

To close, we want to thank you, the community members who continue to accept new realities, focus on finding the best solutions for everyone involved and work with us and your communities to develop new, creative approaches. You lift us up and give us the positive energy to deal with the inevitable challenges. Thank you for setting an example of how to help people live and grow together. Your positive daily actions have a much greater impact than you may realize.

As always, thank you for your continued support and please take care of yourselves and each other!

Your Proline Management Team

May 6, 2020

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