BOD and awarding contracts

DianaE, yes this is the way it is normally done. It is the responsibility of the BOD to make decisions on contracts and all other business matters.

I know our documents give the Board the responsible to award contracts. With our older building and the repairs that are constantly needed it would be a nightmare to have a member vote on every contract. Especially for me as Secretary an having each unit assigned a percentage of vote per Nebraska law.

Since our Board meetings are open, (Except when we (rarely) need to go into executive session, are in compliance if it were in our state statues. However, I don't remember reading anything like that in our state statues.

What I would have a problem with is a member vote on every contract.

I believer the rule for discussing contracts in an open meeting doesn't mean we have to have a members meeting, just that members are welcome to sit in on the Board Meeting when contracts are discussed.
A toilet overflowing in my opinion would be considered an emergency.

The powers/authority of the Board should be contained within your governing documents (CC&Rs, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws) and any applicable laws (COA/HOA and corporate).

Typically, when an Association is established, they are provided with broad powers. State Corporation laws, applicable if the Association is incorporated (most are), designate that those powers be applied by the Board. These powers typically allow for awarding contracts, buying and selling property, borrowing money, etc. (basically anything you can do an incorporated Association has the power to do).

This is why it's important to become active within your Association (serving on the board, committees, volunteering for xyz tasks or just attend meetings) so you are as much part of the process as possible and able to influence the decisions made. If you are elected or appointed to the board, then you will be part of the vote in those decisions.

Realistically, with notice requirements and the cost of printing and postage, to have the entire membership vote on what company should remove a dead tree becomes costly and delays the work being accomplished. For us, this could delay awarding a contract by 30-45 days. This is why I believe that most of the day to day stuff should be at the board level and not the general membership level.

Usually, if things are properly maintained and assessments are kept low, membership apathy can set in and those who are on the board will be voted back in for as long as they are willing to serve. I'm not saying that this is right, I'm just saying that this is typically the reality of most Associations. I would suggest that you attend as many board meetings as you are able and at the next election, toss your hat into the ring. If you are elected to the board, you could then propose changes to require some votes at the membership level.

Hope this helps,

Tim

you can believe State of Kansas statutes are overkill, but they are what they are. Every meeting we have and every agenda item we have to give members an opportunity to speak about it. Your example of an overflowing toilet would never make a meeting because that would fall under emergency repairs.