Response to COVID-19

Due to concerns COVID-19 concerns, CTC's office and community spaces are reopening per the scheduling and guidelines below. Please review the following changes and resources currently effective, keeping our community healthy and functional.

Updated December 6, 2021 | Published March 17, 2020.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we continue to adjust operations to ensure the highest level of service and safety during this unprecedented time of rapid change and uncertainty. We continue to be in direct contact with University officials and closely monitor information from the CDC, WHO and other credible sources. We will be sure to keep everyone updated, as to the most current changing of events. Together, we will navigate this conscientiously, courteously, and cooperatively! ✽

Important Topics below:

Operations, Programming, and Community Room Reservations
Maintenance Requests + Protocol
Laundry Room Use + Cleaning
Add Money to Laundry Cards
Resident and Visitor Parking
Rent Payment Submission
Protect Community Health
Study Center Building - Reopening Guidelines
Outdoor Facilities/Spaces - Reopening Guidelines
COVID-19 Voluntary Disclosure Form
COVID-19 Resources and News

Suspended Operations and Programming

CTC Office: In-Person and Remote Services Available

Starting November 22, 2022, CTC's office is reopening part-time for appointments and walk-ins per the following schedule, with continued remote service available Monday-Friday during business hours.

Tuesday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Virtual Meetings

Board and committee meetings held virtually on Zoom until further notice. Email the office for credentials to join.

Community Room Reservations

The three rooms on the second floor (Upstairs Room, Playroom, and Kitchen) are available for private reservations -- limiting a single reservation per day -- starting November 1, 2021. More on Room Reservations.

Maintenance Requests + Protocol

Place a Maintenance Request

Non-Emergency

Report any issues by creating a maintenance request via your RentCafe account. Refer to our Priority Level chart to indicate the severity of your request appropriately.

For the safety of you, your family, and our team, we will contact all residents who place a maintenance request before starting services. This is to confirm we have all parts necessary to complete the work needed and minimize the number of trips in and out of your apartment. To do this, we need the most up to date contact information for your household. Please list updated phone numbers and email addresses in the full description. Your work will also be completed quicker if you create one work order for multiple requests.

Emergency

Call 651-646-7526 for maintenance support (on-call 24/7) during any emergencies.

Give Techs Room to Work

Practice social distancing (allowing 6 feet between individuals) or do not be present when our technician arrives to fulfill your maintenance request. Additionally, we will take every precaution to optimize the health and safety of our residents and maintenance team while servicing requests.

Laundry Room Use + Cleaning

A professional service will sanitize the laundry rooms twice a week, in addition to the standard member cleaning assignment. Even so, it is imperative that all residents take precautions as we all work together to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Disinfectant Spray Bottle

Guidelines for All Residents:

Minimize time in laundry rooms, especially avoiding when busy or crowded
Sign up for a designated laundry usage time via your Wards’ Shared Google Sheet to promote social distancing. Email your Ward Rep for access.
- ** Effective 10/1/2020 - New Process for 2- and 3-bed Laundry Rooms (discontinuing online reservation signups): Flip door sign to indicate your use of the room if unoccupied. Write estimated time of completion with the provided marker. Once finished with the machines, remove belongings, disinfect the room, and erase the time for next user to enter.
- 1-Bedroom Units: As your laundry rooms are set up much differently, your process will differ than the above. Please wait for direct communication from Ward Representative regarding the process to use your building’s laundry room.
Use disinfectant spray on all hard surfaces
Use disinfectant spray in machines before loading in your laundry items
Use warmest laundry cycles to kill any bacteria or viruses that might be there
Wash hands carefully with soap right after touching any public facility
Do not dispose of any cleaning bottles; we can refill them! Place a maintenance request with the room's building number and any other details, then the supplies will be delivered as soon as possible.

Member Cleaning Tasks:

The assigned member will continually fulfill their laundry room cleaning with the standard two day minimum. Despite the added professional cleaners coming in weekly to sanitize the rooms, we are counting on our cooperative members to maintain a clean and safe environment for our community’s access.

Completing all tasks on the Member Cleaning Checklist at least twice a week
Do not dispose of any cleaning bottles; we can refill them! Replenish laundry supplies by placing a maintenance request. Specify the room's building number and any other details in your request and the supplies will be delivered as soon as possible.

Add Money to Laundry Cards

With the Community Center building temporarily closed, we redirect all residents to the Add Value station located at the Study Center. Access the station by using your laundry room key (U of M #57) on the south entrance facing Gibbs Avenue. VIEW MAP.

Receive a replacement or additional laundry room key ($10) by placing a maintenance request, then it will be delivered to your home as soon as possible.

Resident and Visitor Parking

Policy Enforcement

Respective parking permits are still required for residents and visitors to park on CTC property, and tickets will be distributed per usual for policy violations. Please ensure you adhere to all other parking rules and regulations while your/visitor's vehicle stays on the CTC premises. Review CTC’s Parking Policy (pages 23-25).

Reserved Staff Parking

No parking in CTC/CCCC Staff parking during normal business hours. At this point, staff parking spaces are continuously off-limits on weekdays between 6:00 am-6:00 pm.

New Resident Parking Permits

Please follow the process below to attain a parking permit for your new vehicle:

Send an email to ctc@umnctc.org with the following information:
1. The make, model, color, year and license plate number of your new vehicle.
2. Attach to the email some sort of documentation (preferably a photo or PDF) of either your insurance information or your title / vehicle registration.
3. Note that the documentation you send us must feature your name and the vehicle’s information.
4. If this is your unit’s 2^nd vehicle, you must send a completed Add Charges form as well to get a second permit. You can request one in your initial email, otherwise the office will send you one automatically if it sees you are registering the 2^nd vehicle for your unit.
Once proper documentation is received, the office will send you two things:
1. Via email, you will receive the 4-digit number of your parking permit. Please write this number legibly on a piece of paper and display prominently on your dash until you receive your official permit.
2. Via USPS, you will receive your official permit. Once you receive it, please place this permit on your vehicle’s rearview mirror and be sure to take note of the responsibilities listed on the back of the permit. Misuse of the permit can result in a $100 fine.

After a week, it is assumed you will have received your pass by that time you will be expected to display the official permit. If you do not receive it, please inform the office to avoid a ticket. This permit will authorize you to park only in approved resident parking spots (not visitor, staff or service spots).

Visitor Parking Permits

CTC residents’ visitors can park on property, free of charge, in the designated parking spaces while visiting with the resident. All visitor vehicles need a valid and visible visitor parking permit for any amount of time parked at CTC. Note that while visitors are allowed, gathering especially in large groups is greatly discouraged during this time of social distancing.

As of January 2021, residents can now self-administer Visitor Parking Permits online, as needed, through their RentCafe account under menu option 'Resident Resources.'.

Rent Payment Submission

Accepted methods remain RentCafe (online), BillPay, and personal/cashier’s checks. Without our accountant on site every day, please allow 2-3 business days for the withdrawal to appear in your bank account, as well as the payment to be reflected in your RentCafe ledger if not submitted through RentCafe.

Community Center External Drop Box

Check Deposits

Place check deposits in the external drop box of the Community Center, as the building will be closed. The external drop box is located on the west side of the Community Center, which faces the playground in Ward 9. View Map.

< If moving out during the remote operations interim, please return all unit keys to the external drop box before midnight on your vacate date.

Protect Community Health

Please adhere to the community-based measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), working together to keep our co-op a clean and safe environment for all.

Wash hands often and thoroughly
Practice social distancing
- Keep at least 6 ft from other people
- Stay home as much as possible
- Avoid social visits, prioritizing digital methods of communication instead
Adhere to COVID-19 Outdoor Facility Guidelines when outside to keep facilities/space safe and open
Adhere to COVID-19 Study Center Building Guidelines when using for you and the community's safety
Get creative and try activities (i.e. biking) that allow for distances from one another.
Limit laundry room use, and spray disinfectant on surfaces and machines before and after use.
Feel sick? Stay home and take caution.

Update: Study Center Building Guidelines

Effective September 10, 2020, the CTC Study Center building (Study Rooms and Music + Meditation Room) is reopen for community use. Despite reopening, COVID-19 still looms overhead, in which it is important you adhere to the COVID-19 Study Center Guidelines for your and our community's safety. The Study Center building is sanitized intermittently; use at your own risk.

COVID-19 Voluntary Disclosure Form

In order to provide the best community management of COVID-19 within Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative, you may voluntarily self disclose here if you are symptomatic, have been exposed to, or are confirmed to have COVID-19.

This is entirely voluntary. The information will assist in the management of localized communal spread of COVID-19. No personal identification information will be shared.

COVID-19 Resources and News

News

For more information about COVID-19 vaccine in other languages, go to: Translated #StaySafeMN media
Find the latest U of M news on closings and health alerts

University of Minnesota Resources

Financial Support

ISSS Emergency Funds available for current F-1/J-1 international students
Hennepin County Emergency Renter’s Assistance
RentHelpMN: Eligible Minnesota renters can receive help with rent and utility bills dated on or after March 13, 2020. If you qualify, you could receive up to 15 months total assistance.
- Preparing Your Application:
  - Find a copy of your lease and current ledger on your resident portal at RentCafe.com.
    - Midterm Lease: Click the ‘Documents’ button (folder icon) on the upper right menu.
    - Current Ledger: Click ‘Payments’ on the upper left menu.
    - Utilities Reminder: CTC provides utilities for residents, in which heat, water, gas, electricity, waste disposal, and internet are all included with your flat rental rate.
  - Business name and address for payment information: Commonwealth Terrace Co-op, 1250 Fifield Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55108
  - Questions? Call 211 to speak with an operator who can answer your questions about eligibility, bills, or documents.