How to Prepare for Your First HOA Meeting As a Board Member
How to Prepare for Your First HOA Meeting As a Board Member
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As a new board member preparing for and attending your first HOA (Homeowners Association) meeting, it's important to approach the experience with a positive and proactive mindset.
This is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the organization of the HOA and to start building relationships with fellow board members and homeowners.
It's natural to feel a bit nervous, but with the right preparation and attitude, you can make a valuable contribution from the get-go.
In this post, we will explain how you can organize your first HOA meeting as a board member and tips on how you can create the meeting agenda.
By following this guide, you will be well on your way to impactful change.
HOA Meeting Schedule
HOA meetings will often follow a strict schedule or itinerary. This helps to ensure that the meeting is structured and covers all important business.
At your first HOA board meeting leading, it is important to be prepared.
Below we have curated a list of 5 tips to be prepared for your first meeting as an HOA board member.
- Create the meeting agenda of the meeting and share the agenda with homeowners before the meeting so that they can come prepared with questions.
- Be sure to introduce yourself and get to know other members of the association.
- It is important to try to keep the meeting on the topic by moderating and listening carefully to what is being discussed.
- Plan time to allow community members to ask questions clarifying any topics.
- Remember to consider the rules and regulations of your HOA before leading your first meeting. The rules and regulations will vary for every HOA.
Below is the general pattern of organization of an HOA meeting:
- Introduction
- Meeting name
- Date, time, location
- Community open forum
- Call to order
- Attendance roll call
- Review of last meeting’s minutes
- Officer reports
- Action items
- Committee reports
- Old business
- New business
- Finish
While this is the typical schedule for an HOA meeting, your HOA may be different.
Make sure you pay close attention in your first meeting so you can stay on topic.
What a Healthy HOA Does
A healthy HOA is an important part of building a happy and thriving community.
When an HOA works well, there are some best practices that they follow.
- Create timelines for each meeting agenda item.
A healthy HOA sets a clear timeline. Each meeting point that arises must have a clear time stamp and committee board members must set a rough timeline for the completion of a solution. Estimate how much time a solution will take and assign members to meet the goal. Make sure to check progress each week until completion. - Allow for maximum homeowner input.
The healthiest HOA committees are those that build off the homeowners' needs and work on the community. Because of this, it is of the utmost importance that HOA committees give homeowners every opportunity to have their voices heard. Meetings should be led by community members and accomplish tasks that benefit everyone. - Schedules annual meetings well in advance.
An annual meeting that is scheduled will allow members to have ample notice to plan out their attendance in advance. This will also enable members to actively participate and have a productive HOA meeting. - Be forthcoming with information and educate the populace.
A healthy HOA committee will ensure that they share each meeting’s agenda well in advance of the event. Members should be aware of what will be discussed and how they can get involved with the discussion. Make sure all public information and policies are easy to find and access. An informed community is a healthy community.
If you want to learn more about how to manage a successful HOA meeting, click here!
What an HOA Committee Should Not Do
While many HOA committees want to improve their community, some things should not be done.
- Do not forget to review all relevant documents.
It is important to be up to date with all bylaws and important initiatives. The committee that does not remember what it has approved and what initiatives it is undertaking will never be able to make meaningful changes. - Do not share private information.
HOA committees must understand that some information is confidential and cannot be shared. Oversharing with the community can lead to the disruption of certain projects and even cause some initiatives to be delayed or canceled. - Do not include every agenda item posted.
While all suggestions should be considered, not every idea must be taken. Leadership should determine which topics are most relevant and ensure that the HOA’s authority responds to those issues. - Ignore the opinions of community members
Every member has an opinion that can contribute significantly to improving the community.
A Better HOA, Built on Community.
The best HOA board committees are those that focus on the community. Committee meetings that allow community members to make active changes in their communities are the most impactful of all.
They empower members to feel like they can make a positive difference for themselves and their neighbors.
Following best practices is imperative if you want to keep your local community healthy.
None follows the best practices more strictly than Management Plus. If you are looking for community association leadership that will always put the community first, then reach out to the community managers at Management Plus.
At Management Plus, our team of experienced and professional community association managers are here to help your HOA in a way that works for your community.
Our team has helped dozens of communities in southern Ohio, and we can help you too.
Click here to reach out to Management Plus today!
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