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November 14, 2006

Annual Meeting Minutes - Do We Have To Wait A Year to Approve?

Annual Meeting Minutes - In the coming years, California HOAs, especially in light of the elections reforms of 2006, are going to have to figure out how to handle them, in the stages of drafting and approval. Recently, an astute manager sent me a question about approval of minutes. She had obtained some materials that lead her to believe that when annual meetings of an organization are as far as a year apart, there may be a better way of handling the drafting and approval of minutes than simply waiting until the next annual meeting to seek approval of the members.

She sent me the question as to whether interim approval and finalization of minutes is appropriate, and I went to the website I have found to be very informative and appearing to also be very authoritative (www.parli.com) and asked the question. I received the following feedback which I believe is pertinent, important, and which deserves - in the current elections reform for HOAs - due consideration.

The question: Is there a way that HOAs can finalize approval of the minutes of the annual meeting before a year is up and the next meeting occurs?

I believe the answer if you are using Roberts' Rules is "yes", based on the response I received from the provider at www.parli.com, which I will share with you:

"Thank you for writing. First, let me respond to a committee approving the minutes. This is very common in parliamentary organizations where there is one meeting a year, for example our state meetings and our district meetings. A common practice is for the presiding officer to appoint several members present to serve on the committee. This does not have to be the case. An organization could have a regular committee to do this.
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Minutes Approval Committee: In organizations that meet yearly or semi-annually, it is best to have a committee correct the minutes of the meeting. Those who serve on this committee have the same responsibility as the secretary to take accurate minutes. These members need to pay close attention to the business presented at the meeting because the organization is relying on them to see that the content is correct.
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In organizations where not much business takes place, the Minutes Approval Committee members may only need to write down on paper the essential business transacted. If organizations where meetings are complicated, then the members of the Minutes Committee need to have the same form as the secretary to keep an accurate account of the meeting.
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Often times in small organizations, the presiding officer appoints the members of the committee at the meeting. This may not be a good approach. The best approach might be to have this as a standing committee with members who are trained in taking and writing minutes. Having this pool of talent available and trained, can be a place to look for future secretaries, or for a secretary pro tem in the absence of the secretary."

I believe this is a very good approach, especially given the fact that the new elections reform is wreaking havoc with the annual meetings processes. Some associations are doing away with them. Others are turning them into a social affair, and/or using them as a "kickoff" for the annual elections for the Board. All these may be very good ideas. There are issues and questions that are going to arise about quorum. If the meeting is held in conjunction with the secret ballot elections, then the quorum may be established with the help of the return ballots. In a very small association, or any association that has been able to engender interest by any means, the quorum may be established. If there is no quorum, there will be no action taken at the annual meeting, in which case a "report" may be helpful in establishing a record of the successes or failures, and might take the place of minutes.

In any event, if/when your HOA does have annual meetings a record must be made, preferably in the form of minutes and preferably by someone (the secretary) with or without the help and benefit of a "Minutes Approval Committee". Of utmost importance is to consider what skills are needed by the Secretary and the Committee Members to understand what should be put in the minutes, and maybe even more importantly, what should not! If you want more on this subject, visit www.californiacondoguru.com for a more detailed article passing along more information about how to make the "Minutes Approval Committee" work for you, and also visit www.parli.com for much more information on parliamentary procedure, questions and answers, and resource materials to help your association cope.

Posted by Beth Grimm at November 14, 2006 12:04 PM