The health, safety and welfare of our property owners, residents, commercial owners, visitors and employees is a top priority for Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association. Like many of you, we have been monitoring the ongoing news related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and will keep you informed of the steps we are taking through daily e-Blast messages.
In response to additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson's announcement effective Tuesday, March 17 all public schools will close through March 30, at least one Hot Springs Village resident reporting being tested, and the CDC's recommendation for organizers to begin cancelling or postponing in-person events consisting of 50 people or more throughout the U.S, we have raised the community mitigation level in Hot Springs Village from minimal to moderate. Related resources from the Center for Disease Control can be found at
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community-mitigation-strategy.pdf
.
Should a COVID-19 case be confirmed inside Hot Springs Village, the highest mitigation level strategies will be immediately implemented and additional measures to be taken will be communicated. These strategies will include closure of certain POA public-facing facilities and services.
THE FOLLOWING MEASURES ARE CURRENTLY BEING TAKEN:
BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEETING SCHEDULED FOR March 18, 9:00 am
As reported last
Friday, March 13, this week's regular board meeting will be conducted by Zoom video conference.
Members wishing to communicate with the Board about the meeting agenda or other topics of interest are encouraged to email [email protected].
To view the meeting in real time, please visit
https://zoom.us/j/2247605113
and click "Save File" to download Zoom_launcher.exe. From there, you will need to find the Zoom file in your downloads, open it and follow the prompts. When you are logged in, you will see a placeholder for the webinar, informing you that it is scheduled for 03/18/2020 with a start time of 9:00 am.
Those who do not have access to a computer can dial in and listen through their phone. To listen in, dial 646-558-8656 or 669-900-6833 then, when prompted, enter the webinar ID which is 224 760 5113. International numbers are available at https://zoom.us/u/abpWL9L5tD
POA FACILITIES
As of this writing, all POA facilities remain open but POA meetings and events with attendees of 50 or more have been postponed or cancelled and these steps taken:
- Training staff on the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if organization members/staff become symptomatic
- Encouraging staff and the public to stay home if sick and to make appropriate notifications of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases
- Encouraging personal protective measures such as hand washing and using tissues or elbows for covering coughs or sneezes
- Performing additional disinfection protocols
- Installing or making available additional hygiene supplies in all facilities
- Implementing social distancing measures:
- Reducing large venue activities to decrease risk for high risk populations
- Offering video/audio broadcast of certain meetings
- Encouraging work function distancing
POA OPERATED RESTAURANTS
The POA operates Granada Grill, DeSoto Club, Waypoint, Balboa Bar and Magellan Deli. Although many larger events at our restaurants and event centers have been postponed or cancelled, our restaurants currently remain open to those who are not displaying COVID-19 symptoms such as coughing, fever and shortness of breath.
For those at higher risk for exposure, we encourage you to stay home and consider purchasing gift cards for future use. Gift cards are available in all POA facilities.
Menu items are available through takeout service at both Granada Grill (501-922-1372) or DeSoto Club (501-915-0007). Feel free to call the restaurant and make a TO GO order, pull up to the front door and have your meal delivered to your car. For the protection of our employees, please do not use this service if you are displaying COVID-19 symptoms such as coughing, fever and shortness of breath. Many of the other restaurants throughout the Village are also offering TO GO menus and delivery services.
We invite all area restaurants to contact F&B Director Magdy Hussein to collaborate on additional safety measures for the area.
Here are the current steps we are taking to keep POA operated facilities clean:
- Additional sanitizer dispensers were installed
- Enhanced disinfection protocols are in effect
- All preparation staff wear gloves and routinely change gloves throughout their shifts
- We are temporarily moving from stationary condiment service (salt/pepper, mayo, mustard, ketchup) to individual packets to prevent transfer on these items
GOLF COURSES & LAKES
As outdoor activities are preferred in such situations, golf courses and lakes currently remain open to those who are not displaying COVID-19 symptoms such as coughing, fever and shortness of breath.
The following enhanced disinfection protocols are in place:
- Golf cart steering wheels and equipment are wiped down with disinfecting wipes
- Enhanced disinfection protocols throughout golf shops are in effect
WATER SUPPLY, TRASH & PUBLIC SAFETY
A special task force devoted to considering impacts to water, sanitation, fire, police, gate and ambulance services was formed this past week. As a result, following protocols have been implemented:
- Gate personnel are practicing additional social distancing strategies and have been equipped with disinfection supplies
- Securing 3-month supply of all essential chemicals for water treatment
- Evaluating alternative staffing plans in the event of wide-spread staff illnesses and implementing measures to separate key staff
- Cessation of HSV Fire Department responding to requests for non-HSV agency assists involving respiratory concerns to limit likelihood of multiple first responding agencies being incapacitated as a result of COVID-19
- POA is on their regular sanitation trash pickup schedule.
FUNCTIONS POSTPONED OR CANCELED
While this may not represent a complete list, we will make every effort to communicate known cancellations and postponements. We invite you to communicate cancellations and postponements
to [email protected] and recommend that area organizations ensure the community calendar has been updated by sending information to Katrina Heap at [email protected].
- Fitness Center has suspended all group classes until April 1 but the facility remains open
- The Balboa Outreach Center has suspended all events until March 31
- The Saline County Quorum Court meeting that was to be held at the Ouachita Building on March 16 has been moved to the Saline County Courthouse
- Tai Chi at the Coronado Fitness Center, scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, has been canceled.
- The World Tour of Wines: Chili scheduled for March 19, 2020 has been rescheduled to May 14, 2020. Ticket holders will use their existing March tickets for the May 14 event
- Ageless Grace at the Coronado Fitness Center, scheduled for 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, has been canceled.
- Bishop of Arkansas has cancelled all Catholic events until Easter.
- The Hot Springs Village Anglers/Basecamp Fishing Seminar scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2020 has been canceled. Staff with work with the Anglers to reschedule the event, however, no date has been identified at this time.
- Community Health Fair set for March 25th has been postponed until May 20th
- The Coronado Community Center Deliberative Engagement for renters of the Coronado Community Center scheduled for this evening will be postponed until April 27, 2020 at 6:30pm. The CCC Deliberative Engagement for all POA members will then be rescheduled for May 18
- Crush Cancer Golf Sale, scheduled for March 27-28, has been postponed.
- Presbyterian Kirk has canceled all church activities and services up until Palm Sunday on April 5
- Village UMC has cancelled Sunday Services
- Lifelong Learning Institute Max T Barnes concert postponed
COMMUNICATIONS
Updates will be communicated, as frequently as daily, through the Village Digest. Please signup to receive these communications at explorethevillage.com/members/forms/e-news/. (Note: emails captured by this opt in service are held by a third party, Constant Contact, and are not considered to be Association records. Therefore, they are not subject to release under the recent member inspection ruling in Saline County). The community calendar on
www.explorethevillage.com
will be updated, where applicable. On 3/16/2020, Hot Springs Village POA launched a special webpage (explorethevillage.com/members/hsv-covid-19/) to assist in keeping our community informed about our latest community mitigation strategies and to provide links to official state and federal resources.
