Appropriate Board Mtg. Agenda Item?

We are a Board of 7, with 4 new directors including "Deb," who’s a realtor. 12/29 will be her 2nd mtg. on the Board. What concerns me is her agenda item that the prez accepted.

We're two high rises and each has a mailroom with Bulletin Boards. One in each is enclosed for HOA business. The other is open to residents to rent out parking spaces, sell furniture, etc. In addition, very nearby downtown events are posted. On a narrow strip off to one side are about 12-14 business cards for various services: jewelers; interior painters; housekeepers; electricians; dog walkers, locksmiths, personal trainers, etc.

Although there are several realtors in our 200+ condos, Deb is the only one who posts her biz cards, which always disappear after a while. Competitors? Who knows?

Our rules are quite vague on this matter, but one says advertisements can’t be distributed anywhere at our HOA. Still all of the 11 years I’ve lived here, biz cards have been posted with no complaints.

Deb’s agenda request says in part: “...as a board member I feel I’m entitled to post my business cards on the board.” she wants to know if such posting is permitted.

This sounds very self serving to me and, imo, is a poor way to begin serving her community. Am I off base to think that this not only is a very personal “problem,” it’s between her & whomever removes her card?? How is it a Board/HOA concern? Should we install cameras in the mailrooms?

More important, is there any way I can encourage her & a couple of other directors to focus more on our overall HOA instead of very small even trivial individual matters? Our tendency seems to be in the last year or so to drift away from big-picture governance.

Thanks in advance for your guidance!

Deb gets up during Candidate night and reads her bio from the nomination form she submitted on time to the "hundreds of residents" who attended the event.

She mentions she has been a realtor for 14 years for ABC Real Estates which specializes in "Twin, High Rise Luxury" Condo on the waterfront, and blah...blah...blah. This same information is also enclosed with the election package and ballots sent to all owners.

What's the different whether "Deb posted on the bulletin board or ran for the Board and gave a speech?

Kerry,

The question is self serving. So what.

However the issue isn't between her and who is removing cards. The issue is "what is the Associations policy regarding the posting of business cards and/or other forms of advertisements"?

You already stated that the documents are vague. Therefore, someone is asking for clarification. It doesn't matter that the question was asked by a Board member or not. The question was asked and now should be dealt with.

Just keep in mind the real question/issue: Does the Association desire to allow members (not just board member, but all members and perhaps residents) post business cards in a specific location or not?

Kerry,

My first impression on reading this question was that Deb wants to put her business cards in the enclosed HOA bulletin boards. Is that what she is seeking to do? The reason I ask is that it seems pointless to put on the agenda a discussion of something that Deb and others have done in the past.

BTW, her missing cards may have been taken by a competing realtor, a prospective customer, or someone who just does not like her. Whatever the reason, it is not a board problem.

I'm not annoyed.
If I gave that impression, it wasn't one I was trying to give.

I agree with Larry & JonC. I don't really see it as a board or HOA problem. I don't think, Larry, that she wants her cards behind the locked glass, but I may be wrong!

I'm thinking she wants a sign on the residents board that says "Please do Not Remove" or some such. There are other far more important items on our 12/29 agenda that I need to speak to, so I'll probably keep my mouth shut.

My main worry is that the other 3 new directors will think that this type of personal request is typical or should be typical.

We've been approached, Richard, to permit advertising in our monthly News, but have declined. I think a board approving one of its directors to advertise in its newsletter is a bad policy as it appears there's favoritism or cronyism on the board. Our News goes to 150 of our 200+ Owners, and another 40 residents pick them up in our mailrooms. To let, for instance, Deb advertise in it would not be good for the Board's rep.

We have around half a dozen realtors in the community - one on our board.

Once we had 2 on our board at same time - Got a creepy feeling when MC was being chosen that the 2 of them were setting things up to get and share sales/listing leads from their preferred MC. Clear violation of fiduciary responsibility IMO.

We're now down to 1 realtor on the board. He hands out business cards whenever he meets a homeowner he doesn't know - even when he's conducting HOA business. He sends letters when he learns that someone in the community dies, goes to funerals, sends a letter to family members stating that he is not only a realtor but is also a board member. He intimates that he will do better for them as a realtor because he is on the board.

My attitude is that he should not be in a better position than any other realtor who lives here just because he's on the board. Recently, an owner died. My board member realtor told me that the deceased had wanted him to be the listing agent. When someone stopped me on the street to inquire about homes for sale, I conveyed the information to family members without notifying my realtor board member. The house was sold privately. Things got a bit strained between that board member and me.

Kerry, I think it's always good to have these policy discussions, especially when the composition of the board changes significantly as in your case.

IMO, the posting of business cards on the board is only a small part of the bigger issue - Fiduciary means putting the interests of the community above your own. I suggest asking your new member how she thinks she will be perceived if she promotes (or attempts to enforce) recognition of her personal business?

That's the stuff that I find really disturbing. Not enough to call her on it. But surely enough to open a dialog.

Right Tim, she is only asking for clarifications if I read your post correctly. The terms conflict of interest is a widely overused term, and it sounds like it is here as well. From her personal experience of living in the HOA, she has asked for it to be put on the agenda. How is her following due process a conflict of interest?