How to Organize an Effective HOA Board Meeting

When you picture an HOA board meeting what comes to mind? Unfortunately, some of you have only memories of chaos and conflict. An unstructured meeting can devolve as emotions take over.

You don’t want your board meetings to give people nightmares. Some HOAs are tempted to give them up altogether. People are busy, meetings are either boring or traumatic—there are plenty of excuses to cut down or phase out regular board meetings.

But your homeowner’s association should not give into that temptation. First, it may well be illegal. Some states require HOAs to follow their bylaws. And you can be pretty sure that those meetings are in your bylaws. If they aren’t, they should be.

Let’s take a look at a few more reasons to schedule regular, productive meetings and how to organize them. You really can meet and get things done without anyone shedding a single tear.

HOA Board Meeting Frequency

Monthly or bi-monthly meetings work well for most HOAs. Check your bylaws to find the required interval. If it’s less often, consider adjusting the schedule. It’s worth the extra time.

Why? Because monthly meetings are shorter, easier to fit into people’s calendars, and much more efficient. They allow you to deal with issues in a timely fashion, preventing blow-ups and oversights.

You can examine budgets regularly, make prompt changes as necessary, and closely monitor projects.

Monthly meetings also offer HOA members more opportunities to get to know the board and be an active part of their community. We all know that tension left to brew only grows. By having regular, well-organized meetings, you can prevent problems rather than reacting to them.

Organizing Your HOA Board Meeting

First, know your state laws, bylaws, and CC&Rs regarding meeting protocol. They help you establish meeting frequency and quorum rules, and may dictate other specific board meeting criteria.

Once you have those elements in order, set up an agenda. Again, your governing documents and state law may dictate what you need to cover.

In California, the Davis-Stirling Act requires the monthly review of specific financial documents. It contains a detailed list of accounting, budgeting, income, and revenue information that must be covered.

Be mindful as you set your agenda that it’s important to keep things moving. Have all the documents you need on hand so you don’t waste time or end up deferring important agenda items.

It’s a good idea to make your first agenda item a very quick review of the previous meeting. It helps keep everyone on the same page and reduces repetition.

Begin with any old business that still needs completing. Then turn to new business in order of priority. Follow that with committee reports—budget, social, maintenance, and any others the HOA may have. Get a copy of any reports or presentations before the meeting so you can set the most efficient agenda.

Where you choose to do your financial reports is up to you. It depends on how complicated they are, if there have been any substantial changes or issues, and whether members often want input in this area.

Every HOA board meeting should have an open forum for members. We know that this is where there can be mayhem and unpredictability. But homeowners who receive regular information about the inner workings of their HOA feel genuinely represented by the board.

The trust and lines of communication built through monthly, well-run meetings build community bonds and resilience. Homeowners who frequently interact with their HOA board are less likely to hold onto resentment and misunderstandings.

Making Your HOA Meeting Agenda Work

You may find yourself with an overwhelming list of agenda items. Now is the time to prioritize. How many must you cover at this meeting? Are some more appropriate for a Board of Directors meeting? Can some wait for next month?

Your agenda should be short and address the most important items on your list. Don’t get lost in the weeds trying to fit every committee and every vendor into every meeting.

An HOA board meeting with homeowners shouldn’t take more than 90 minutes or so (depending on the size of the organization and community). Decide how much time each agenda item gets and do your best not to run over.

To help your meeting run smoothly, take a few minutes to go over the procedures and rules before you begin. This helps you set expectations for discussions and reassure attendees that the meeting has a scheduled end.

While you need to organize and schedule and prepare, remember that this is a meeting of peers. Being a board member does not confer upon any individual the right to be discourteous. These are your neighbors and likely your friends. It will serve you well to remember that during every stage of planning and every meeting.

At the end of a meeting, have someone give a summary of decisions made, votes taken, and issues discussed. Your meeting minutes will then provide you with a review for your next meeting.

Your HOA Helping Hand

Does this seem like too much work to do every month? You can make HOA meeting planning a lot easier by using tools from Homey to present your financial information. Since it is a necessary part of every meeting, having easy access to software to prepare budget presentations saves time and effort.

Homey helps improve the accuracy and completeness of your financial presentations. You’ll be able to put together accessible, reliable reports that keep meetings running smoothly and on schedule.

Use Homey tools to stay compliant with state laws and HOA governing documents regarding financial review. Create reports that are easy to understand and provide value to homeowners. Members want to be in the loop about your HOA’s current financial position and they want to know about upcoming projects and expenses.

Reach out today to get started with our HOA management tools. Get a handle on your financials and your board meetings with tools from Homey.