Let’s face it – HOA board meetings are not that fun
In general, meetings are not a lot of fun!
Meetings are the source of frequent complaints in both the professional and personal worlds. Some of the usual grievances people express are that no one is paying attention, the conversation went way off topic, the issue could have been handled by an email, or the same conversation is repeated and never acted upon. Does this remind you of the HOA board meeting you had last month?
You’ve probably dealt with some of these issues while running meetings for your HOA. It’s bound to happen, especially when you have multiple people all wanting to discuss different topics that are personal and important to them. While you may not be able to have full control over all things that may derail your meeting, you can set yourself up for better outcomes by adequately preparing and running your sessions. Proper documentation and maintaining a checklist of completed tasks should help keep things in line and moving forward.
Tips for Running Your HOA Board Meeting
HOA board meetings are for the board members to make decisions and communicate them with community members. Governing documents and any state or federal laws will dictate the frequency and specifics your meetings should entail.
Here are some tips for running your HOA board meetings:
1. Follow Robert’s Rules of Order as your meeting guide. It’s the most commonly used parliamentary authority among associations and societies in the United States.
2. Abide by an agenda to budget time. If a non-emergency is mentioned that’s not on the agenda, it should be saved for a future meeting so that everyone has a chance to prepare for any discussion. When creating an agenda, begin with the items that are easily handled, and then move to more complex issues that may warrant a lengthy discussion. You’ll also want to include a few minutes for a break about halfway through.
3. Consider seating arrangements. Create the best table arrangements to foster discussions. Seat the HOA President at the center with board members around him/her in a semi-circle. Incorporate the HOA Manager so that they can contribute too.
4. Verify the agenda with the property manager before the meeting to ensure everything is on the agenda that needs to be. You want the board of directors to have the chance to review it and prepare any talking points for the discussion. Along with the agenda, share any related data with the board of directors. You can easily pull any needed reports with TOPS HOA accounts payable software.
5. Release the agenda beforehand and make it available in print for the meeting. Depending on your state, the law may require posting the agenda for residents before the meeting. It’s also a good idea to have printed versions available so that attendees know what topics to expect at what time.
6. Appoint a timekeeper to keep everything on schedule. It’s easy to get off track and spend more than the allotted time discussing one item. A timekeeper’s job is to watch the clock and keep everyone focused on the task.
7. Appoint someone to document the meeting. The notetaker will need to track attendance and the items discussed, including any relevant reports. Consider recording everything via audio or video to have an indisputable record on file.
8. Think about calling in security help. People are emotional about their houses and can quickly lose their tempers. Err on the side of safety and consider bringing in security personnel for your HOA meetings.
9. Urge owners to attend. Maximize participation among homeowners by serving food, bringing in speakers, or hosting drawings. Getting people involved and vested in the community and the board’s success is helpful when making significant decisions in the future.
10. Practice and encourage patience among your fellow board members. Tensions can get high in an HOA board meeting. Practice patience with your fellow board members and any attendees.
11. Arrive on time and prepared. Reduce any wasted time during the meeting by ensuring that the board members are briefed and have time to familiarize themselves with the topics at hand.
12. Encourage professionalism and transparency in HOA board meetings. A professional attitude and openness with information are critical to gaining the trust of homeowners.
It’s necessary for your HOA board to run meetings efficiently and effectively to keep your association running smoothly.
Be Prepared for Your HOA Board Meeting
Technology like HOA accounts payable software will help you prepare for your HOA meetings and quickly answer any questions that may arise. Enumerate Central offers maintenance request tracking, accounting features, owner access functionalities, and other options specific to the property management industry. Contact us now to get started with a free, no-obligation consultation.
FREE Download:
Download your FREE Action Items Worksheet!
Distribute this worksheet to a board prior to each meeting to keep everyone on target, or even keep a running log of similar nature online where everyone can access.
Benefits of having this Action Item Worksheet:
- One convenient location for all action items (easily add additional communities to this worksheet)
- Helps the board to be reminded of all of the work that has been done in recent times
- Comes in handy during budget season to help the Board better predict expenses
- Helps to prevent important tasks from falling through the cracks
- A good way to maintain a ‘To Do’ list
This is the resource you’ve been waiting for.
