Help again/members limited sppech at annual meeting?

I am asking many questions about our FL HOA annual meeting.
We have NEVER had a quorum to hold the membership meeting.

We are optimistic that we will have one for next week's annual meeting.

The HOA Pres. claims that we are restricted to only 3 mins and can't repeat the same subject at the annual membership meeting.
Nothing in by-laws.

It is a membership meeting. How can the Pres. place restrictions on a membership meeting??????

Anyone have any experience with this?

720.306 Meetings of members; voting and election procedures; amendments.—

(6) RIGHT TO SPEAK.—Members and parcel owners have the right to attend all membership meetings and to speak at any meeting with reference to all items opened for discussion or included on the agenda. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the governing documents or any rules adopted by the board or by the membership, a member and a parcel owner have the right to speak for at least 3 minutes on any item, provided that the member or parcel owner submits a written request to speak prior to the meeting. The association may adopt written reasonable rules governing the frequency, duration, and other manner of member and parcel owner statements, which rules must be consistent with this subsection.

Marlee, I'm sorry you don't like the answers but it makes perfect sense. I don't know what your quorum requirement is but say 30 homeowners show up and want to speak - 30 X 3min is 90min, 30 X 4min = 120 min and 30 X 5min = 150min.

Read that rule very carefully--it says "at least 3 minutes" not that 3 minutes is the maximum allowed.

What's on your annual meeting of thee members agenda, Marlee?

I think we will have at least 40-50 members attending...things are heated. There are 135 households.

First on the agenda is...establish an independent ARC.
Right now the Board IS the ARC.
We have 8 items and the general members will certainly have more.

I really will be thrilled when this is over. There really isn't much one can do until the next election.

Or the BOD could agree to establish an ARC committee and then appoint themselves to the committee.

The statutes and comments thus far have been specific to BOD meetings not annual/members' meetings.

An agenda item for the annual meeting should contain the following item: New Business.
In this category, members can introduce any new item for consideration. The presiding officer introduces the category by asking, "Is there any new business?" Any member can then introduce new items of business by making a motion and obtaining a second. Following the consideration of each item, the chair repeatedly asks, "Is there any further new business?"

This process continues until there are no additional business items to come before the assembly. This category is used for discussion purposes only. If the introduced topic requires a vote of the membership to approve, like an amendment to the governing documents, all members must be advised of it in the Notice of Meeting.

Okay let's just say that I am temporarily been taken over by JonD's spirit for a moment here. A 3 minute speech is more than enough to make anyone's point. If you can't make your point in 3 minutes or less then you don't have a point you have rambling ons...Sorry but sitting through a 3 minute speech is excrutiating and then have 10 other people after that with the same limit would put me over the edge...

Imagine this: Have your spouse write a 3 minute speech on changing the oil in your car and listen to it. If you don't lose interest or points to be made at the 2 minute mark I would be amazed. Even debate teams limit their debate speeches to 3 minutes or less with a 1 minute response.

Funny how one wants to give a long 5 minute speech on complaining about their HOA and their lack of following the rules but never a 2 minute speech on why they would run for an office position and the changes they would make elected...

Just as an FYI -

According to parliamentary procedure, such as Roberts Rules, only the membership (not the president) can limit debate at a meeting of the members. That is, a member can make a motion limiting debate to 3 minutes, and, after that motion is debated and voted on, if accepted by the majority of members, debate would thereafter be limited to 3 minutes.

However, most HOAs do not adhere to strict parliamentary procedure, let alone Roberts Rules, (nor do many HOA directors and officers understand them). Only a handful of states and HOA governing documents require HOAs to adhere to Roberts Rules.