Habit #3— Run Effective Meetings

Why?

An association operates as a business. As a business, an association must conduct meetings of its shareholders – the property owners. These meetings provide a forum to conduct association business, share information, and elect those who will govern the association. Successful association operation usually requires regularly scheduled board meetings, an annual meeting of its members, and periodic special meetings to address specific issues. Effective meetings are well publicized, organized, conducted using established procedures, and allow for reasonable discussion of association business.

Board Meetings

 Are usually held monthly or quarterly for members of the board

 Allow for trustees/directors to conduct the business of the association

 Are communicated to homeowners

 Are rarely closed to homeowners except when the board goes into ―executive session‖ to discuss sensitive matters, such as personnel or legal issues

Annual Meetings

 Provide a forum for all business, elections, and officer and committee reports

 Require the association to notify all owners

 Meet minimum quorum requirements specified in the governing documents

Special Meetings

 Provide a forum for business that was stated in the meeting notice. No other business may be conducted.

 Require notice to be sent to all owners

Key Points

Notification - It is important to notify property owners of meetings, especially the annual meeting and any special meeting. Notification must include the time, date and place of the meeting. Some governing documents may specify how much time must be given for notification.

President’s Role -The president, or chair, of the association is responsible for conducting the association‘s meetings. As the presiding officer, the president is responsible for:

 Calling the meeting to order on time

 Announcing business according to the prescribed order to business

 Recognizing members who are entitled to the floor

 Ruling on points or order and maintain order throughout the meeting

 Expediting business fairly

 Declaring the meeting adjourned

Quorum – The term quorum refers to the minimum number of owners who must be present at a meeting, in person or by proxy, before business can be validly transacted. Association officers must review their governing documents to determine how a quorum is constituted.

Agenda – It is customary for an association to have a permanent order of business or ―agenda‖. Such an agenda may be established in the associations by-laws. If not, a typical fixed agenda includes: 1) Call to order, 2) Minutes, 3) Officer‘s Reports, 4) Committee Reports, 5) Unfinished Business, 6) New Business, 7) Adjournment.

Parliamentary Procedure – Governing documents may require the board to use parliamentary procedures to conduct annual or special meetings. Many associations use Robert‘s Rules of Order to conduct meetings. There are many versions of Robert‘s Rules, including simplified versions for smaller organizations. An association board may wish to choose a preferred version and stick with it.

Speaking limits – The board may wish to have rules on how speakers are managed at meetings. For formal meetings, there may be a sign- up sheet to speak, time limits of three to five minutes, a limit on the number of times a speaker can speak and whether or not speakers can yield time to other speakers. Rules should be established prior to meeting.

Minutes – The association has an obligation to keep records of annual and special meetings. Generally, this responsibility resides with the secretary, who records and files minutes for all annual and special meetings. At each annual meeting the minutes of the previous annual meeting and any intervening special meeting should be distributed. Annual meeting minutes should include the date, time and place of the meeting, the number of persons in attendance, any votes taken, election results, and identify and officer and committee reports presented.

Self Assessment

Do you have regular subdivision meetings?

How do you notify residents of your meetings?

Do you have regular procedures in place for running your meetings? _____Yes _____No

Who runs your meetings? ____________________ What is a quorum for your meetings? ________

Do you always have an agenda for your meetings? _____Yes _____No

Do you have procedures for allowing residents to speak at your meetings?

Do you have time limits for speakers? _____Yes _____No

Do you have someone assigned to take minutes at your meetings? _____Yes _____No

Habit #4 Communicate with Residents

Why?

Aside from competent decision-making and leadership, communication is the most vital element to running a subdivision. Clear and concise communications can play a key role in fostering community interest, partnerships and solidarity. Written communication provided by Trustees to the homeowners should be short, clear, concise and professional. Currently, some subdivisions have begun to use technology to communicate to residents through e-mail list serves and websites. However, these technological advances still rely on written communication to inform current and prospective residents about subdivision news and information. The communication within the subdivision should function as a two way street, with trustees sharing information and homeowners having the opportunity to provide input.

Key Points

Written Communications Basics

 Keep communications simple and consistent

 Be positive, polite and professional

 Focus and state messages clearly

Community Signs

Signs that provide general instructions or information can greatly increase the association‘s communication efforts. Below are some uses for informational signs within subdivisions:

 Signs can broadcast a brief message to the entire community

 Signs can notify residents of Trustee meetings, community events, etc.

 Signs should be easily read from a moving car, so they must be brief and to the point (NOTE: Signs cannot be placed in the public right-of-way)

Newsletters

A recent study done by the Community Associations Institute found that 93% of residents that receive a community association newsletter read it all or most of the time. This statistic illustrates that a newsletter is a great way to communicate with all residents. It also highlights the importance of a well-written and designed newsletter.

Ideas for Newsletter Topics

 Message from the Board – Have one member write a message for each newsletter

 Committee Reports – Including committee reports will increase the level of transparency, which will keep residents informed of the trustee‘s efforts and activities

 Project Status Updates – Let residents know when the pool will open for the summer, or when the common ground will be mowed

 Financial Reports – Keep it simple, using graphs and charts when available

 Meeting Minutes – In an effort to keep the community up to date, recap any activities by the trustees in this portion

 Rule Reminders – If there is a rule that is frequently violated, call it out and explain it in this section

 Events – Announce meetings, block parties, cookouts and other trustee sponsored events

 Local News – Announcing area news affecting residents makes a strong addition to newsletters

Other Documents Associations Should Make Available to Homeowners

 Annual Reports – Annual Reports are an excellent way to highlights the association‘s accomplishments. Annual Reports can provide a permanent record of yearly accomplishments. This information can be useful in recruiting new residents to the subdivision.

 Governing Documents - The trustee association should have a copy of the governing documents (indentures, bylaws, incorporation articles, etc) available for residents

 Rules (If such a document is available) – Separate from the governing documents, the rules of a subdivision should be available for residents. The rules should be developed in language that is easy to understand. The more complex language of the governing documents will support the rules document.

 Resident Handbooks – A resident handbook is a document given to new residents upon their arrival. The handbook can include newsletters, annual reports, governing documents, rules and directories, etc.

 Financial Information – Annual budgets, financial statements and information about annual and special assessments should be available to homeowners at the annual meeting or by request

 Miscellaneous Materials – FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), Maps, Meetings Schedule, and other documents may also be given to residents to help them become acclimated to the area

 Buzz Books – Many associations provide a directory of homeowners contact information

Input from residents - Residents should have an opportunity to provide input into association matters. Structured opportunities for this include town hall meetings, surveys, forums and suggestion boxes.

Surveys - Surveys are a great way to check the pulse of the community as a whole on pertinent issues, however there are a few steps that need to be taken to ensure a good survey.

Surveys should:

 Be short

 Ensure Anonymity

 Focus on bigger issues (ex: focus on constructing a welcome sign, not the font of the sign

 Be easy to interpret and answer

Town Meetings and Forums - Town Meetings and Forums will provide an open arena for residents to provide opinions on key issues affecting the subdivision. Keeping the meeting on track and structured can be a challenge but basic rules and a moderator can work to ensure this occurs. If there is a single issue that has taken over the community, consider having experts on hand to answer questions to insure the meeting moves along efficiently.

Websites and E-mail - Websites and E-mail list serves are relatively new ways to perform community outreach within associations. While some communities may use the internet heavily for communication and outreach, others may not find it as useful. Websites require maintenance and are most effective when managed by a webmaster. Associations that determine the internet to be an area of interest can use the following tools to keep residents abreast of important events and dates.

Free web-based groups – Yahoo and other internet sites offer the ability to create a public or private group for any group out there. The site has a message board that allows users to post announcements and other types of information. (groups.yahoo.com)

Free web-based calendars – Each web-based group comes with a calendar. A calendar can be used to post important meeting dates and topics. It can also serve to remind residents of due dates and election dates. (groups.yahoo.com)

E-mail List Serve – An e-mail list serve is simply a mass e-mail distribution list that can be managed by the association. (groups.yahoo.com)

Websites – Tripod and other websites allow for the development of free websites. The user determines the level of complexity of the website. Tripod makes it is easy enough that a novice can do it. (www.Tripod.com)

Social Networking Sites – Facebook, among other social networking sites, is a great place for neighbors to connect. The ability to form a group allows users to announce and invite others to meetings and events. (www.facebook.com)

Self Assessment

Do you have regular subdivision newsletters? _____Yes _____No

If yes, how are they distributed?

______ Mail ______ Hand Delivered ______ E-mailed

Does your subdivision have an informational sign for meetings and events? _____ Yes ______ No

If yes, how often is it updated?

_____ Once a Month _____ Once a Quarter _____ Once a Year

Has your subdivision ever published a newsletter? _____ Yes ______ No

How often does your trustee group solicit input from residents regarding projects and goals for the trustees?

_____ Once a Month _____ Once a Quarter _____ Once a Year

Has your subdivision ever developed a survey to help determine the interest of the residents?

_____Yes _____No

Does your subdivision use to internet to provide information to the residents as a whole?

_____Yes _____No

Where do you think your subdivision can improve the most in terms of communicating with residents?

_____ Internet Communication _____ Newsletters _____ Surveys _____ Information Signs