Page 12 - NY Cooperator December 2020

12 THE COOPERATOR — DECEMBER 2020 COOPERATOR.COM Formerly known as Lipner, Sofferman & Co., LLP and Katz Viola Lebenhart & Mauro, LLP Over 50 Years Serving the NY Coop/Condo Community KVLSM LLP is a full-service accounting firm with a staff of professionals available to guide its clients through every facet of business and personal tax processing. The firm has been providing the highest level of professionalism and guidance to the New York coop/condo community for over 50 years. The firm’s services include, but are not limited to: • Financial Statement Preparation • Audits, Reviews, and Compilations • Mergers and Acquisitions • Tax Preparation • Cash Flow and Budget Analysis • Financial and Retirement Planning • CFO Services Formerly known as Lipner, Sofferman & Co., LLP and Katz Viola Lebenhart & Mauro, LLP Over 50 Years Serving the NY Coop/Condo Community KVLSM LLP is a full-service accounting firm with a staff of professionals available to guide its clients through every facet of business and personal tax processing. The firm has been providing the highest level of professionalism and guidance to the New York coop/condo community for over 50 years. The firm’s services include, but are not limited to: Contact Ken Lipner: klipner@kvlsmcpa.com • 516-294-0400 • Financial Statement Preparation • Audits, Reviews, and Compilations • Mergers and Acquisitions • Tax Preparation • Cash Flow and Budget Analysis • Financial and Retirement Planning • CFO Services 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite C Woodbury, NY 11797 Phone: 516-294-0400 • Fax: 516-938-0491 kvlsmcpa.com Formerly known as Lipner, Soff erman & Co., LLP and Katz Viola Lebenhart & Mauro, LLP Over 50 Years Serving the NY Coop/Condo Community KVLSM LLP is a full-service accoun� ng fi rm with a staff of professionals available to guide its clients through every facet of business and personal tax processing. The fi rm has been providing the highest level of professionalism and guidance to the New York coop/condo community for over 50 years. The fi rm’s services include, but are not limited to: • Financial Statement Preparation • Audits, Reviews, and Compilations • Mergers and Acquisitions • Tax Preparation • Cash Flow and Budget Analysis • Financial and Retirement Planning Contact Kenneth Lipner, CPA: klipner@kvlsmcpa.com • 516-294-0400 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite C Woodbury, NY 11797 Phone: 516-294-0400 • Fax: 516-938-0491 kvlsmcpa.com Providing Practical Legal Advice and Representation to Cooperative and Condominium Associations for More Than Forty Years • General Counsel • Residential and Commercial Real Estate and Leasing • Real Estate and Commercial Litigation • Mortgage Financing • Commercial, Corporate and Business Law • Comme • Mitchell-Lama Housing • Transfer Agent Services • Construction Law and Gas Conversions Jack Lepper: jlepper@kll-law.com Ronald Gold: rgold@kll-law.com Adam Finkelstein: afinkelstein@kll-law.com Fran Lawless: flawless@kll-law.com Fran L building without interrupting the resident, which is important now that so many people residents’ safety and convenience, and to are working from home and can’t be inter- rupted,” says Golub. “We instantly notify the says Kestenbaum. “Residents can now pick resident that a package is there by whatever up a package without touching a signature their preferred means of communication is.” pad at the front desk, using the resident mo- That could be email, text, or a phone call. “Digital signage, permanent screens We’ve built touchless access control into with alternating messages, are also becom- ing increasingly popular in common spaces try without needing a key or fob. We helped in many Florida communities,” says Kravit. buildings address their need to screen and “For instance, digital signage units are an track visitors and contractors entering the excellent option in mail rooms for commu- nicating with unit owners. Also, banks are forms. We’ve also just released a new Inspec- offering online lockbox services for both tions feature, helping properties establish unit owners and community managers, and protocols around property-wide inspections many have integrated with accounts pay- able software programs that make it easy for board members to sign checks and get their installed touchless countertop or kiosk tem- vendors paid.” Link concurs with Golub on the benefits of re- mote access tech- nology. “We actu- ally haven’t had a very big impact on management from COVID,” he says, “but having this technology has helped with getting vendors into the building, which we ered, especially in fitness centers. Many as- would need in any event. Its benefits are not sociations are also using apps to communi- COVID exclusive though.” It’s a net positive cate with their owners and announce guest to be able to get someone like a cleaning ser- vice employee into the building or unit with remote access. You never have to be home. Limited key entry can be offered to anyone, and it is tracked via timestamping. “We also have video evidence for confirmation and control,” Link continues. “The package room is fitted with remote notification to recipi- ents, too. Our system also tracks use of the gym and common areas as well. If there are too many people in the space, we can man- age it. Limiting in-person contact with all these video-based and other controls is very valuable in battling COVID.” Accelerating Adoption Golub stresses that COVID has expe- dited the adoption of technology, both at but security and visitation products like the building level, and the user level. “We’re CCTV, ways to secure property though key seeing more and more buildings upgrade fobs and cards, also intercom products that during this time,” he says, “especially build- ings that may have security issues or a mal- functioning intercom. For example, in the will continue to evolve, becoming more and six months from April through September, more sophisticated.” we’ve seen a 108% increase in resident door openings via the Carson app. New inqui- ries are up and steadily growing. There are use of technology depends on who is using more in the security space requesting soft- ware, such as access control and intercom phisticated today and have a higher level of apps. Ours is a stand-alone app, and Carson expectation for the technology they use than is pretty much a software delivery company. the typical co-op or condo dweller of even a In terms of security, if there’s no doorman, decade or two ago. Access control for their how are people getting in? Duplicate keys front door without a doorman, for instance, are a good example. We are seeing buildings phase these out and provide access through the Carson app directly through their phone to let you in. Your phone becomes a key.” “We’ve developed solutions to increase help managers adapt to new requirements,” bile app’s new Contactless Package Pickup. the app for residents, so they can gain en- premises with brand new COVID screening and routine cleaning of common areas.” Kravit adds, “Many condominiums have perature scanners in their lobbies to pro- tect their residents. High-potency air filtration systems that include germ- killing UV lights and the MERV-15 grade/HEPA air fil- ters used in hospi- tals to purify spaces and attack germs are being consid- arrivals and deliveries.” What’s on the Horizon? “For multifamily properties,” says Golub, “we’re seeing an increase in the adoption of Cloud-based technologies, giving managers and residents the ability to operate remotely. While security and visitor communication products have become essential, I haven’t seen temperature and thermal devices take off in the multifamily segment yet. Office buildings have been adopting touchless sys- tems and dispatched elevators, and there may be a need for this in high-rise \[residen- tial\] buildings going forward. Facial recogni- tion is probably too expensive for residential communities, and may be overkill anyway, work with smartphones—these continue to be the most sought-after technologies and Link points out that a lot of what happens in the future when it comes to the increasing it. He maintains that residents are more so- TECHNOLOGY... continued from page 11 “With COVID, property managers, staff, and residents need to operate remotely more than ever before. —Neil Golub