Whether virtual or in-person, an HOA management board’s meetings are a critical part of what it means to hold such a position. Not only that, but they’re essential to moving the community forward, setting goals, and seeking feedback from residents to make sure their needs are being met.
All of that purpose means that board meetings can be daunting to run, but if you’re a new member, don’t fear. The property management services pros at Gassen are here with a few basic how-tos on getting the most out of your next board meeting.
Create an Agenda
Keep your meetings as concise and to the point as possible by creating an agenda with all the topics you need to discuss in that meeting. This helps alleviate those round-about discussions that don’t go anywhere and saves you time in the meeting.
To streamline your meetings even more, make your agenda ahead of time, and if you can, upload it to a custom-designed HOA software program that allows your residents to see it before the meeting. Since you’ve clearly laid out what will be discussed in the meeting, your residents can prepare questions or comments related to those topics specifically.
Keep Accurate Minutes
Since the point of your board meetings is to convey information and discuss goals for the future, recording the meeting minutes is essential for the productivity of your board and residents, both for future use and for those who missed the meeting. Minute keeping is also often a legal obligation for HOAs.
Be sure to put into writing important information, including:
● Each topic discussed in the meeting and what motions were approved, which eliminates community-wide ambiguity.
● Record which board member voted for what, which can allow residents to make educated electoral decisions.
● Report questions from community members and how they were answered, so as to keep a record of concerns and to show proof that you take your residents' concerns seriously.
Once you have your minutes completed, make sure to add them to your HOAs custom online portal so that they can be viewed by all residents. Having all important board information at easy access for your residents cuts down on confusion or arguments within the community.
Help Homeowners’ Opinions Be Heard
Meetings are an amazing time to connect with your residents, but if the board allows too much time for homeowners to speak, it’s easy for the discussion to go off-topic or become redundant. This can muddy things, making it harder for a concerned resident’s valuable voice to be heard and remembered.
The solution? Ask for feedback, questions, and comments ahead of time. Online property management tools can come in handy for this!
The board can then cover concerns within an outlined timeframe, leaving space at the beginning or end of meetings for homeowners to speak.
Wrap Up Concisely
When ending your meeting, do a quick reminder of the most important things discussed and any actions residents have to take. Refresh for people that the motion to build a new pool passed, so their dues will increase starting next month, for example.
Make sure that the essential information residents need is the last thing they hear before leaving.
Gassen: Every Service you Need for an Awesome HOA
We’re great local management—pure and simple. With our down-home care and quick emergency response times, we give your HOA the same kind of attentiveness you strive to give your residents.
For accurate accounting property management, quality comprehensive HOA management and more, contact our Eden Prairie office today at 952-922-5575. We look forward to serving you!