Provincial government plans to roll back red tape for condos
Posted Nov 27, 2019 11:20:41 AM.
Last Updated Nov 27, 2019 11:21:36 AM.
EDMONTON (660 NEWS) – The UCP government is cracking down on unnecessary red tape for condo owners and boards.
Minister of Service Alberta Nate Glubish was joined by Associate Minister of Red Tape Reduction Grant Hunter and representatives from different condo associations for the announcement Wednesday.
The new regulations follow an extensive review of condo rules which began earlier this year.
The review committee recommended several changes including removing the requirement to provide minutes of all board meetings in the package for annual general meetings, changing the per-document cost for paper documents, and increasing allowed amounts for sanctions.
Great announcement by Minister @nateglubish this morning.
I was happy to stand and support him as he cut unnecessary red tape and made important changes for condo owners, boards, and corporations. #AbLeg #cutredtape pic.twitter.com/LSnbPMq52O
— Grant Hunter (@GrantHunterUCP) November 27, 2019
President of the Strathcona County Condo Association, Jerry Keller, says changes like how board meetings are run are necessary.
“Some of the unintended consequences were meetings that would last three, four, five hours because of the technical nature of what was being proposed. That was not feasible, that was not possible to have these meetings that would last that long. Providing minutes, every set of minutes to every owner in a condo corporation when 90 per cent of owners don’t want that.”
Minister Glubish said the government is also looking at changes for insurance.
He said this legislation doesn’t tackle financial issues like rising costs for condo owners and a cap on insurance rates.
“We are aware of the increases that condos are facing across the province. We’ve been having some conversations with the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury Board as well as the insurance industry. ”
The new rules will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.