By Rusty Bradshaw
Twitter: @SunCitiesEditor

With four months remaining in 2020, the Condo Owners Association of Sun City board is preparing for the coming year.

The COA board appointed Kay Artibee and Sue Clark as a committee to develop a plan for 2021. Their recommendations, subsequently approved by the board, included keeping the office, 11132 W. California Ave., Youngtown closed except for one day per week, continuing workshops but in differing formats and a change in membership fees — but in a different direction than most fee changes.

Beginning January 2021 the annual COA membership fee will be reduced $2 to to $6 per unit with a maximum amount of $160 per association.

“Even though this means that we will operate at a loss for the year, it is something that we can do to help our members,” Jerry Walczak, COA board president, stated in an email.

The annual fee for 2022 will go back to the normal amount of $8 per unit with a maximum of $200.

There will be personnel at the COA office on Fridays in 2021 but the doors will be locked to walk-ins and for listening posts, Mr. Walczak explained.

“Our directors will be available Monday–Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon for addressing issues and problems by way of the phone and emails,” Mr. Walczak stated.

The COA meeting room will be available to members, free of charge, only in the afternoons, with stipulations and requirements. Maximum attendance at these meetings will be 15 members. Some of the COA workshops in 2021 will be in its meeting room, with limited attendance and requirements, according to Mr. Walczak. The majority will be on Zoom. The round table discussions will continue to be twice per month on Zoom, he added.

The COA will operate for the remainder of 2020 as it has since the spring when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of many businesses and other agencies and major changes in operation.

However, COA officials canceled the 2020 annual meeting. But they are working on a plan to meet with members possibly in late-November. They are also reserving Thursday, Nov. 19 as a potential annual meeting date if the situation changes between now and then, according to Mr. Walczak.

“This has been the busiest summer for the COA in anyone’s memory and is probably due to everyone having too much time on their hands because of all the closings,” he stated. “Instead of just ‘locking’ our doors, the COA has been utilizing emails, phone meetings and the Zoom video telecommunication app on the Internet.”

The COA round table meetings with 10-15 members continued through the summer twice per month have a long waiting list, Mr. Walczak explained. In July, COA officials began conducting workshops on Zoom for 10-20 members and this format proved to be extremely well received, he added.

“We were asked to continue this venue after the current health issues are settled,” Mr. Walczak stated.