Understanding the Five Types of HOA Meetings
An integral part of the smooth operation of any Tacoma, WA HOA is meetings. Although not as action-packed and exuberant as the town hall meetings depicted in movies, they’re certainly not as bad as your Friday afternoon work meeting either. HOA meetings foster a strong sense of community and help residents become more engaged in their community association. They’re also a functional necessity, as this is when all of the decisions that most significantly impact your HOA are made. If you live in an HOA, and especially if you are an HOA board member, these are the five types of community association meetings that you should be familiar with.
1. Board Meetings
Board meetings are often held either quarterly or monthly and are used to discuss a range of issues on the pre-decided agenda. Agendas are planned out to the minute, and copies are given to community members for review since the topics on the agenda are the only ones allowed to be discussed during these meetings. Although all board members must be present for board meetings, the meetings are open to all members of the HOA if they wish to attend.
2. Committee Meetings
Larger community associations may have committees that handle specific aspects of your HOA’s operation. Examples include landscaping committees, safety committees, newsletter committees, welcome committees, and many more. Meetings can be held weekly, monthly or annually, depending on the committee. At these meetings, committee members discuss prominent topics relevant to their duty, such as the next HOA social event or any crime trends in the area. While these meetings aren’t always open to every member of the HOA, minutes are almost always available upon request.
3. Annual Meetings
The annual HOA meeting is one of the most important in any community association. Usually held at the start of the new fiscal year, annual meetings are led by the board president and announce new developments such as the budget, board members and major projects for the upcoming year. The largest and most important topics affecting the community will be discussed here, and the meeting is open to all members of the community.
4. Executive Sessions
Executive sessions are meetings in which confidential decisions are discussed and made. These meetings are not open to the public and are attended only by board members. These meetings may cover legal issues, delinquent payments, internal committee problems and other serious and private matters. Due to the sensitive nature of the topics, minutes are generally not made available.
5. Special Meetings
Special meetings happen in a rare emergency event that requires immediate action with short notice. These causes can include natural disasters, property damage, or special assessments. Board members, community members, and anyone else specified in the community’s bylaws can call a special meeting if they feel it’s warranted — although typically, more than five percent of residents will need to sign off before a special meeting can be called.
HOA board meetings can sometimes be a full-time job in and of themselves; handling the many other aspects of successful community management can be overwhelming and even impossible if your board is small, inexperienced, or otherwise just busy. Professional HOA community management is beloved by community association board members across the country because it lightens the load on Tacoma, WA board members and allows you to focus more of your time and energy on your community’s overall well-being — including the obligatory meetings. If your community association could benefit from a professional HOA management company, call The Management Trust at (253) 472-0825 or fill out our online contact form today. We’ve been one of the nation’s leading HOA management firms for 30 years, and we’d love to help your Tacoma, WA community thrive as well.
