Condo talk: Stick to a one-hour board meeting

Association board meetings don’t have to be three hours long. However, I repeatedly hear from clients, some of whom meet monthly, that each board meeting takes several hours.

Let me provide some hints to streamline the meeting process.

First and foremost, the association needs a strong president to preside over the meetings. The president should have some basic understanding of Robert’s Rules of Order. I’m not suggesting the president needs to be a parliamentarian. However, knowing how motions are made, seconded, amended, discussed and voted on is essential.

Importantly, the president needs to manage discussions, keep order and keep the meeting moving along and on pace.

Board packets should be provided to board members well enough in advance of the meeting. The board packet should include the notice of meeting, agenda and any contracts or documents the board will be considering.

Board members should be prepared for the meeting. This means board members should review the packet before the meeting. Reading the information for the first time at the meeting wastes time, and reading comprehension can’t be at its best in the meeting setting.

It may seem obvious, but have an agenda and stick to it. Many boards hold meetings without an agenda, and that is a recipe for a long meeting. The agenda should be detailed enough so the scope of the meeting is clear.

I am a huge proponent of a “timed” agenda. That is, each agenda item should include a description of the amount of time to be allocated to that item. Of course, the amount of time to be allocated to each item needs to be appropriate for the subject matter. The president needs to manage the meeting so as to keep to the agenda and to the time allocated.

The purpose of the meeting is to conduct board business. It’s not an association meeting, and it’s not a social gathering. Board members should address one another, and engage in a dialogue with each other, and not members of the association who may be in attendance.

Owners do have a right to attend open board meetings, as observers. Owners do not participate in discussions or votes at board meetings. Owners who interrupt should be admonished by the president and informed that the owner will be barred from the rest of the meeting if the disruption continues.

Typically, a long table is set up at the front of the room for the board members, and the table faces the audience. This is appropriate for a seminar, not a board meeting. This seating arrangement results in board members directing their comments to the owners, rather than to each other. This can lead to “grandstanding” by board members and may unintentionally invite owner participation. I suggest the board assemble at a round table or in a horseshoe shaped configuration. This arrangement is much more conducive for a board meeting.

Unit owner forums have become custom at board meetings, and are required under the Common Interest Community Association Act. These forums are intended as a general comment period for owners.

A specific amount of time should be allocated at the meeting (beginning or end) for this forum and owner comment. The amount of time should be relative to the length of the meeting, and it should take up a relatively short portion of the meeting. The time limit should be announced at the beginning of the forum so it does not leave the incorrect impression that an owner is being arbitrarily cut off when time expires.

If an owner has anything substantial to address with the board, the owner should contact the board in advance so that matter can be formally placed on the agenda, if appropriate.

Some boards just can’t manage the length of their board meetings because they allow for too much irrelevant discussion or participation. There is a solution for this as well.

Many municipal buildings, like the library or recreational facilities, have meeting rooms available for board meetings. The catch is that these buildings have a closing time. So, schedule the meetings to start 60 or 90 minutes before closing time.

While the particular business of any specific board meeting might not be concluded in an hour or so, the goal of the board should be to be prepared for meetings, focus on board business, and to be as efficient as possible.

Ÿ David M. Bendoff is an attorney with Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit in Buffalo Grove. Send questions for the column to him at CondoTalk@ksnlaw.com. The firm provides legal service to condominium, townhouse, homeowner associations and housing cooperatives. This column is not a substitute for consultation with legal counsel.