All homeowners’ associations (HOAs) host regular meetings to discuss various topics, projects, and community matters. Whether it’s to set goals, resolve issues, or review the status of community projects, meetings are a key part of running a successful HOA. That said, meetings should be planned ahead and executed professionally to ensure everyone’s on the same page and matters are taken seriously. Today, we’ll go over the different types of meetings and how to structure a successful HOA meeting.
Contents of This Article:
- Types of HOA Meetings
- How to Structure an HOA Meeting
- Tips for Running a Successful HOA Meeting
- Manage Your HOA With BMG
Types of HOA Meetings
There are several types of meetings an HOA might hold. As such, board members, community members, and Philadelphia HOA managers need to know how to prepare for each type. That said, each has a different purpose and format, so knowing which one to prepare for is important. Here are five types of HOA meetings and what they may focus on.
- Board Meetings
- Annual Meetings
- Executive Sessions
- Committee Meetings
- Special or Emergency Meetings
Board Meetings
Board meetings are the most common type of HOA meeting. They’re usually held monthly or quarterly, mandatory for board members, and open to all HOA members. The purpose of HOA board meetings is to allow all members to meet regularly and discuss business and community management matters. That said, all members must be notified of a board meeting and the agenda in advance, usually 7 to 30 days.
During board meetings, members usually do some of the following things.
- Discuss managers and vendors
- Review maintenance reports and budgets
- Resolve disputes
- Answer attendee questions
Annual Meetings
As you may have guessed by the name, the annual meeting is held once a year. Usually mandated by HOA laws, it gives board members, residents, and management representatives a chance to meet and discuss HOA operations. During the annual meeting, the board will touch on some of the following topics.
- Annual budget
- New board members
- Upcoming projects
- Committee reports
- Issues within the community
- Accomplishments
Like regular board meetings, all community members should have at least 30 days’ notice before the annual meeting.
Executive Sessions
Executive sessions are a bit different from regular meetings. They’re closed to the public and usually only open to the board of directors to discuss confidential and private matters. Usually, these gatherings take place before or after a normal HOA board meeting, and topics may include:
- Ongoing litigations
- Personal issues
- Resident appeals
- Disciplinary actions
Committee Meetings
Not every HOA has committees that need to meet, so not every HOA runs these types of meetings. However, if they have a committee to assist with small-scale projects, then they should have periodic meetings according to HOA guidelines. Like regular board meetings, all HOA members should have prior notice of committee meetings. Additionally, these meetings are open to the community and allow the committee to discuss their activities and present their work.
Special or Emergency Meetings
While most HOA meetings are planned, special or emergency meetings are not. These meetings can be called on short notice to discuss urgent matters that require immediate action. For instance, HOAs may hold an emergency meeting to discuss new developments, natural disasters affecting the neighborhood, or other emergencies. Since these meetings are usually urgent and unplanned, they may be held over the phone or on a Zoom call.
How to Structure an HOA Meeting
While meetings may not be the main focus of running an HOA, they’re still an important part of managing and maintaining a successful HOA. That said, having a solid structure is key to running a smooth and effective meeting. Whether you’re a board member, HOA manager, or community member, you’ll want to know how these meetings should work. Here’s how most are structured.
- Call to Order
- Review of Last Meeting’s Minutes
- Reports from Committees
- Discussion About Unresolved Issues
- Discussion About New Issues
- Open Forum
- Adjournment
Call to Order
All meetings start with a call to order, which signifies the start of the meeting. Usually, this is done right at the start time of the meeting but may be delayed if all board members aren’t present. This may be followed by a roll call, where board members are introduced to everyone at the meeting.
Review of Last Meeting’s Minutes
The first order of business at most HOA meetings is reviewing the last meeting’s minutes. This is to review discussions from the last meeting for those who couldn’t be there and note any outstanding issues that haven’t been resolved yet. Essentially, it’s a refresher that sets the tone for the current meeting.
Reports from Committees
Once everyone has caught up on discussions from the last meeting, the board and committee members should discuss current matters. For instance, now is the time to discuss financial reports, maintenance issues or works in progress, violations and resolutions, planned events, and more.
Discussion About Unresolved Issues
After reviewing new or ongoing projects, it’s time to discuss any unresolved issues within the community. At this point, board and community members should be caught up on what’s happening within the association. This part of the meeting allows the board to resolve or move any HOA concerns to future meeting agendas.
Discussion About New Issues
Discussing new issues or projects typically takes up most of the meeting time. This is the time for board members to bring everyone’s attention to new business within the HOA and make decisions on how they’ll handle it.
Open Forum
Depending on the type of meeting, there may be an open forum to allow all members to express their concerns or make comments about initiatives within the community.
Adjournment
All meetings end with an adjournment once all topics and agenda items have been discussed. Typically, anything discussed after the adjournment does not count as part of the meeting.
Tips for Running a Successful HOA Meeting
If you want your HOA meeting to go as smoothly as possible, here are some tips for success.
- Plan Ahead- Try to plan board meetings and the annual meeting well ahead of time. Doing so can ensure you have the right amount of meetings per HOA laws and that everyone has sufficient notice to plan and prepare topics.
- Set Guidelines- Not every meeting is the same in terms of participation, so it’s important to set guidelines to ensure all discussions and decisions are valid.
- Create an Agenda- Creating an agenda ensures a successful meeting. List items that need to be discussed and set timelines to keep conversations productive. Then, hand out the agenda to meeting-goers so they know what to expect.
- Take Minutes- Taking minutes is typically required by law and is an official record of what happens during the meeting. Essentially, they signify that the meeting happened and document any important actions or motions. So, have someone designated to note this information during the meeting.
Manage Your HOA With BMG
Knowing how to structure and run a successful HOA meeting is crucial for board members, community members, and HOA managers. In today’s blog, we discussed the different types of meetings, how to structure an HOA meeting, and tips for running a successful meeting.
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If you want help managing your HOA, look no further than Bay Property Management Group. Our team of experienced property managers can help take the stress out of managing your Philadelphia area Condo Associations, HOAs, or Cooperative Housing. Whether you need to coordinate meetings, set annual budgets, manage vendors, or more, we’ve got it covered! Contact BMG today to learn how we can help.
