Meadowglen COVID-19 Response (June 2020)

At every board meeting (March, April, May) since the pandemic hit, the Board has been discussing what the governor’s Stay-At-Home, Safer-At-Home and most recently, the “Safer-At Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors�? orders mean to our community.  With the health and safety of our residents and the potential liabilities to the HOA in mind, several things occurred: the Board ceased accepting reservations for clubhouse use, canceled community-wide events, canceled the ARC’s spring walk-thru, began holding its board meetings via Zoom and began discussing what the 2020 pool season might look like in Meadowglen, especially after we learned that lifeguards would not be available this summer.

Recognizing that the pool is the hub of Meadowglen families’ summer activities, board members made a commitment early on to do everything they could to open the pool for use if allowed to do so under the public health organizations guidelines and following the required safety practices in those guidelines. On June 4 those guidelines were finalized and HOAs were given the thumbs up to open UNDER VERY STRICT CONDITIONS. Those conditions include: 

• Limiting pool capacity to 50 people or 50% capacity, whichever is less. 
• Maintaining physical distancing between non-household members. 
• Keeping restrooms open. 
• putting a reservation system in place to limit pool capacity 
• Ensuring hourly sanitization of restroom surfaces and all high touch surfaces around the pool during pool operations (this task requires a licensed, insured and bonded professional (not neighborhood volunteers). 

With guidance from our community manager Lewis Moses at MSI and the HOA’s legal counsel, we are considering the following requirements in order to comply with the state guidelines:

• Signage outlining the pool rules and social distancing guidance will be posted. 
• ONLY Meadowglen residents (and caregivers) will be allowed to use the pool. No guests will be permitted. Considering the capacity limits, this is necessary to enable as many Meadowglen residents as possible to have access to the pool.
• An online reservation system will be put in place, and a corresponding check in system will be employed at the door. Residents who do not have access to the internet may call a board member (numbers listed in the Meadowgram) who will access the system for them. See the Meadowglen community website for the reservation system: www.meadowglen-hoa.com 
  • Reservations will be for 2 hour blocks
  • Reservations can only be made up to 3 days in advance
  • No more than 1 reservation per day per household may be made
  • If you are unable to make your reservation, please cancel so other people can use your spot.
  • When making a reservation, you will need to sign a waiver
• Staff at the pool:
  • There will be NO lifeguards. The pool will be a swim-at your-own risk pool this summer.
  • A cleaning company will be hired to comply with the hourly disinfecting guidelines to sanitize the bathrooms and table/chair surfaces. 
  • A person from the cleaning company will help check in reservation holders
• Social Distancing:
  • Deck sections will be taped off designating areas where families can gather. 6 foot sections in between these sections will be taped off to allow social distancing between families.
  • Swimmers must do their best to maintain 6 feet of distance in the pool between non-household members and the sharing of pool equipment/pool toys is discouraged. There will be markings around the pool for you to use as a visual guide.
  • Masks, when not in the pool, are required. This includes entry and exiting the pool property. 
  • The check-in person will be ensuring that you are following proper social distancing guidelines.
• Cleaning
  • Spray bottles with disinfectant will be provided at the door, and families will be asked to spray down their areas of use before and after use.
  • The cleaners will disinfect the frequently touched surfaces including railings, gate, tables, and the bathroom hourly.
  • PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT. Food or beverages brought into the pool MUST BE PACKED OUT. We will NOT have a system in place for emptying garbage. 
• Pool use is allowed ONLY during the following hours : 
  • 7 AM to 8 AM – Lap swim only
  • 10 AM to 8 PM – 2 hour blocks of open swim, only 1 per household per day
  • 8 PM to 9 PM – Lap swim only

We want to know your opinion on these restrictions! Is it worth the cost and risk to open the pool this season? To fill out our survey please visit our website at www.meadowglen-hoa.com and fill out the 2020 Pool Survey under the Feedback tab.

Pending your opinion, we would like to shoot for a target opening date of July 1, but there 2 make-or-break conditions to remain open. We are in the process of securing a company to provide the cleanings, but if we are unable to get a contract in place or they are unable to continue through the summer, then we will close. Secondly, as uncomfortable as it may be, we are asking the assistance of all Meadowglen residents to support compliance from all pool users. If you see these rules being abused, suggest compliance, and please report abuse to either Lewis Moses, the MSI community manager, or a board member. If the state’s guidelines and pool rules are not complied with, the pool will be closed. In order for this pool season to be successful, everyone must take personal responsibility for and comply with these requirements. 

If you have any questions or comments about these measures, please email Lewis Moses (lmoses@msihoa.com) at MSI or Ari Feldman (arifeldman@meadowglen-hoa.com). Stay safe and healthy out there!