What’s the difference in a board meeting and a special
meeting, or an annual meeting and a town meeting? Confused? Here’s some
clarification.
Annual Meetings
Annual meetings—or annual membership meetings—are
required by our governing documents, which specify when they’re to be conducted
and how and when members are to be notified about the meeting. This is the main
meeting of the year when members receive the new budget, elect a board, hear
committee reports and discuss items of common interest.
Special Meetings
Special meetings are limited to a particular topic. The
board can call a special meeting at any time, and they must notify all members
in advance. The notice will specify the topic so interested members can attend.
Special meetings give the board an opportunity to explore sensitive or
controversial matters—perhaps an assessment increase. Members do not
participate in the meeting, unless asked directly by a board member, but they
have a right to listen to the board discussion.
Town Meetings
Town meetings are informal gatherings intended to promote
two-way communication; full member participation is essential to success. The
board may want to present a controversial issue or explore an important question
like amending the bylaws. The board may want to get a sense of members’
priorities, garner support for a large project or clarify a misunderstood
decision.
Board Meetings
Most of the business of the association is conducted at
regular board meetings. Board members set policy, oversee the manager’s work,
review operations, resolve disputes, talk to residents and plan for the future.
Often the health and harmony of an entire community is directly linked to how
constructive these meetings are.
Executive Session
The governing documents require the association to notify
you in advance of all meetings, and you’re welcome—in fact, encouraged—to
attend and listen. The only time you can’t listen is when the board goes into
executive session. Topics that the board can discuss in executive session are
limited by law to a narrow range of sensitive topics. Executive sessions keep
only the discussion private; no votes can be taken. The board must
adjourn the executive session and resume the open session before voting on the
issue. In this way, members may hear the outcome, but not the private details.
Parties
Occasionally the association notifies all residents of a
meeting at which absolutely no business is to be conducted. Generally these
meetings include food and music, and they tend to be the best attended meetings
the association has. Oh, wait! That’s a party, not a meeting. Well, it depends
on your definition of meeting.
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