No one adds agenda items

I'm curious as to how many of your board members add things to the agenda to discuss at board meetings? Other than things I have requested be one the agenda for discussion I don't think a member of our board has requested an agenda topic for at least 6 months. Our PM does add items they need to discuss or get board approval on.

You have a PM ... which in essence to some extent might mean there is apathy and the BOD and Membership are relying on the PM to guide. If you have a PM then potentially most questions will be from the PM.

When I was on the board, it was a mixed bag - out of 7 board members, I think there were only two who would bring stuff to discuss (I was one, the president was another).

I'm not so concerned with people adding agenda items as I am about them participating in an active way. If their attendance is shaky, aren't paying attention to what's being discussed, just sitting there and voting yes or no to EVERYTHING, I have to wonder if they really understand or care the issues and the options. If that's what's going on, you have a bigger problem.

If you want them to add agenda items, you might start by giving them assignments to do something - even a simple walk through to explore a specific issue would be a start. That task might prompt them to ask for something to be added to the agenda that hadn't been discussed before.

My 10-yr. experience on this board does suggest that there always will be 2-3 of us 7 who just want to be "in the know," or do realized that they can't just blab about anything, they need a little background evidence or research about why the item should be on the agenda. And they don't want to actually do that work.

We've also had one or two who've served to support a friend already on the board. We've had one or two who have one and only one thing that interests them, say, landscaping.

I disagree that our Board is apathetic (and maybe others aren't either) because we have a property mgr. First, 2-3 of us DO contribute quite a bit. 2nd, these high rises with complicated HVAC, boiler, plumbing and elevator systems are beyond the knowledge base of volunteers here and maybe in most such HOAs. We, for example, have nearly 100 reserves components many of which are mechanical/plumbing in nature. We must reply on our PM and building engineer concerning their maintenance.