Running a Meeting Follow

Meeting Basics

The management contract will list how often regular Board Meetings take place. These meetings are open to all unit owners, however, only the board has the authority to discuss and vote on the agenda items. Sometimes the president will coordinate and manage the meeting. You should check with the president in advance to confirm if they are planning to run the meeting. 

 

Required Attendance: A quorum of board members 

 

Optional Attendance: Unit owners, invited speakers (contractors, vendors, etc), management

Tenants or other non-owners are not permitted to attend. 

Discussion: Unit owners do not have the right to comment at board meetings. However, many condominium association boards have a unit owner comment period (Open Forum), subject to the discretion of the board. 

 

Confirming a Meeting Date 

Ideally, you should confirm the next meeting date before ending the current meeting. However, some associations will pick all meeting dates for the year at once. PRO TIP: Use the Reoccurring Tasks function in Buildium to calendar out two weeks before the meeting so you can begin prep work.

 

Management should send the board a draft agenda for review and feedback at least 1 - 2 weeks before the meeting date. 

 

Notice

The notice must be given at least 48 hours prior to the meeting by one of two methods: 1) posting in entrance ways, elevators, or other conspicuous places (If there is no common entrance way for seven or more units, the Board may designate one or more locations for posting of notices.) or 2) mail or delivery to each unit owner. (If a unit owner has provided written authorization, such delivery may be by email.)

 

Meeting Process

When it is time to hold the meeting, the easiest way to guarantee a smooth meeting is to have an organized meeting book distributed in advance. (See Meeting Books)

 

Minutes

The secretary of the board must keep minutes of all board meetings. Meeting minutes must be maintained for seven years. Any unit owner has the right to inspect and copy the minutes, in person or by agent, at any reasonable time at the association's principal office. To exercise this right, the unit owner must submit a written request to the board or its authorized agent. The board or its agent must comply with the request within 30 days. 

 

Resolutions 

It is important to document all board resolutions clearly in the minutes for future reference. Error on the side of caution and suggest that the board pass a resolution even if there is doubt that it is necessary. 

 

Example Resolution: Be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the (Association Name) approve the minutes of the 1/1/2023 Board Meeting. 

 

Post-Meeting

Executive Session and Open Forum can occur before or after the meeting. (For more on Executive Session, see Executive Session and Executive Meeting Log). After the meeting, ensure you are sending the Board a meeting follow-up. (reminder, use ZD Macro - "Cam Meeting Follow Up 2")

 

Possible Issues

If a problematic homeowner is derailing the meeting, the board can remind them that only board members may participate in discussion at the meeting. If the problem continues, the board can issue a violation or adjourn the meeting. 

 

Sometimes placing time limits on each open forum topic can keep the meeting from going off schedule or a problematic owner from beating a dead horse. 

 

Additional Best Practices

Associations take action at meetings, whether it is a board meeting or a members meeting. While there are countless options and methods to run a meeting, there are best practices that, if adhered to, should help a board run a more effective meeting. If board members and the board, in general, ask themselves several questions, it will help implement these best practices.

 

1. Why are we here? What is the purpose of the meeting?

a. Certain meetings have to have a stated purpose on the notice of meeting, which provides context to what the board or, in the event of a membership meeting, the members will be discussing and dealing with.

i. Annual meeting – to elect members to the board

ii. Rule meeting for condos – must state the purpose of the meeting is to discuss rules and regulations (and must contain the proposed rules)

iii. Special assessments – have to send notice of the special meeting differently

iv. Removing members from the board

b. Agendas are not required to be sent out in advance, but can be helpful

i. If you do send one out, make sure that the agenda has open ended language that allows additional business to be discussed

 

2. What laws and rules govern us at meetings?

a. Condominium Property Act governs meetings for condos

b. Common Interest Community Association Act governs CICAA communities

c. General Not for Profit Corporation Act for all not-for-profit corporations

d. Declaration, By-Laws and Rules and Regulations

i. Can contain provisions that you must consult and adhere to.

 

3. How and when do we start the meeting?

a. A meeting cannot start until you have a quorum

i. Board meetings – generally a majority of the board

ii. Members meetings – generally 20% of the members

iii. Please note that a quorum of the board is not required for a membership meeting and a quorum of the membership Is not required for a board meeting.

b. The meeting should begin at the designated time in a notice, or as shortly thereafter as possible if a quorum is not present

 

4. Who is in charge?

a. The board president presides over the association’s meetings. This applies equally to board and membership meetings

b. The board president is tasked with directing the flow of the meeting, including

i. announcing when motions have been made

ii. announcing the results of votes taken

iii. acknowledging individuals to talk and discuss items

c. If the president is unavailable, the vice-president presides over the meeting. If there is no vice-president, then another officer will take control of steering the meeting.

d. !!!! Even though the president is in charge, he or she must stick to the general rules of order that the association has used.

 

5. What is the role of the property manager?

a. The role of the association’s manager varies from association to association. i. At some meetings, the manager runs the meeting to allow the president to be fully engaged.

ii. At others, the manager is only consulted when issues come up, bids are being dealt with etc.

 

6. Who has the power?

a. You need to understand what meeting you are at to understand who has the power to take action and make decisions.

i. At board meetings, the members of the board have power.

ii. At members meetings, the members have power.

b. The president still is tasked with running the meeting, but you have to know who can vote on items.

c. The members of the board get to vote at members meetings, just like other members.

 

7. How do we take action?

a. Generally, actions are taken utilizing a motion that has been seconded and approved by a majority of the board that is present at the meeting.

b. Know in advance if there is a higher vote requirement for specific issues

i. Condo tax appeals

 

8. Do we have to adhere to Roberts Rules of Order?

a. Roberts Rules of Order were written for different types of organizations at different times.

b. You only have to follow Roberts Rules if your Declaration, By-Laws or Rules and Regulations state that you do.

 

9. Should there be minutes and what should be in them?

a. Every meeting must have minutes

b. A general set of minutes will state when the meeting was called to order, who was present from the board, what action items were taken (approval of minutes, approval of contracts, decisions on violations), who made the motions and seconded them, the vote total and the time the meeting was adjourned.

i. Avoid who said what to whom in the minutes

ii. Always remember that less is more!

 

10. Who takes minutes and how do we keep them interested and engaged in the meeting?

a. Minutes are the responsibility, of the secretary under both the Declaration/By-Laws and the law.

b. The problem of secretary engagement

i. If a secretary tries to put too much in the minutes, they will likely lose focus and/or bog down the meeting if they are waiting on the secretary to move forward

ii. Consider recording the meeting if it is a major issue

iii. Otherwise, use a good agenda as the template for the meeting minutes.

 

11. Who gets to talk?

a. The worst meetings are a free for all where there is no organization on who is allowed to speak at a given time.

i. If multiple conversations are happening at the same time, it can be difficult to focus and hear good and bad points

b. The board should discuss issues without comments from the members

i. Board meetings are meant for the board to take action.

ii. This allows the board to move through the agenda quickly.

c. Generally, members are only permitted to discuss items in the homeowner comment period (also called the open forum).

i. This is required for any association that is bound by the Common Interest Community Association Act.

ii. I recommend that, as a political matter, every board allow the owners to comment during a specified time period

iii. The board can adopt rules and regulations that state how long the comment period will be, how long people can speak etc.

 

12. Should we deal with closed session items in open session?

a. Every item that is voted on by the board must be voted on in an open session.

b. Boards can discuss certain things in closed session, including:

i. Litigation

ii. Hiring and firing employees,

iii. Collections iv. Violations v. Contracts (in CICAA communities, but also coming soon to condo communities)

c. Do not discuss these in the open session but you must vote on them in open session.

 

13. How long is a good meeting generally?

a. The meeting needs to go as long as it takes to get all of the association’s business adequately addressed

b. Most meetings could be done in an hour

c. Note that circumstances may require longer meetings and shorter meetings.

 

14. What do we do when an owner or board member disrupt business?

a. If an owner continuously speaks out of turn, they should be asked to leave the meeting.

i. If they refuse to leave, call a facility supervisor or the police to ask them to leave

b. If a board member refuses to stop discussing a particular item, they should be censured by the rest of the board.

c. If they still refuse to give up, temporarily adjourn the meeting to see if they will adhere to formalities.

 

15. What are some practice pointers?

a. Adopt rules and regulations concerning how meetings will run, including:

i. How will you approve items

ii. Members right to record meetings

iii. The length and order of the comment period for the meeting

b. Do not do things just because you always have. Do things because they are correct, and help you efficiently run your meetings

 

Sources: IDFPR - Meeting Requirements

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