Knowing how to run an HOA board meeting, and run it well, can make such a huge impact on your HOA decisions. When you dedicate your time to board meeting preparation, you are showing your board members, who in most cases are volunteers, that you care about their time.
Being prepared means less time fumbling around trying to find the information you need, it gives each member more time to voice their opinions, and it leads to well-informed decisions, to the appreciation of everyone who attends.
Tips on How to Run a Successful Homeowners Association Meeting
Know The Governing Documents.
Governing documents are, in essence, the constitution, law, and regulations that explain how a community is governed and establish how the HOA is run. These documents provide protocols about meetings, including the type, structure, frequency, and timing. Governing documents and state statutes are legally binding and must be followed, otherwise, you risk invalidating the decisions, votes, and minutes obtained from the meeting
Create an Agenda.
The agenda is what guides a timely and productive meeting for the BOD and keeps the homeowners informed. A good rule of thumb: create the agenda for your next meeting as soon as the current one ends so that everything is fresh and new business will not be forgotten over time. Meeting agendas typically follow this format:
- Meeting Name
- Date, Time, Location
- Homeowner’s Open Forum
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Approval of Last Meeting’s Minutes
- Officer Reports
- Action Items
- Committee Reports
- Old Business
- New Business
- Adjourn
Give Advance Notice & Distribute the Agenda.
If the meeting is an official homeowner meeting, check your governing documents to comply with legal notice requirements. If it’s an informational meeting, provide a 10 to 14-day notice to allow homeowners time to make arrangements to attend. Send a reminder to the board according to legal notice requirements along with an agenda of the upcoming meeting.
Be Prepared.
Showing up prepared to intelligently discuss and act on the agenda establishes trust and shows homeowners that you’re ready to make informed decisions for the community. Before the meeting, all board members should review the agenda, financials, contracts, proposals, and any other key documents.
Take Minutes.
Meeting minutes are an official, legally binding record of the actions taken by board members at a board meeting. Preparing and maintaining minutes is an essential task because they can be used in court and play a key role in financial business. While it varies by association, most HOAs must have the following in their minutes:
- Association name and meeting type (monthly, annual, special, etc.)
- Meeting location and date
- Time the meeting was called to order and adjourned
- Present and absent board members and their office positions
- Approval of prior minutes
- Officer and committee member reports
- New business that was discussed and open discussions
- All motions (whether or not they were approved) and actions that were taken
- Names of those who voted for a motion dissented and abstained
- All financial transactions (reserve expenses, opening or closing of a bank account, etc.)
Don’t: Get off track.
Stick to your agenda and try to keep meetings under an hour. Consistently getting off-topic or dwelling on a specific subject for too long will eventually lead to board member burnout, rash decision-making, decreased engagement, and low attendance in the future.
Having a productive HOA board meeting sets the tone for the rest of your association projects. If your HOA has questions about how to plan a successful meeting or how to manage the day-to-day duties, contact Prism Realty Management. Give us a call at 512-676-5842 — we’d be happy to talk to you about who we are, the services we offer, and our process.