Jordan,
Welcome to the forum.
To answer your specific questions:
General Membership Meetings - meetings where everyone is encouraged to attend and, typically, the members must vote on something. Typically, the general membership only meets once or twice a year.
Board Meetings - meetings of the Board of Directors. These are the meetings where issues are discussed and actions are decided. Every Director gets one vote. Decisions are made by majority approval.
Open Meetings - meetings of the Board or Committees where members are allowed to attend, if they desire, and observe the process. Typically, those in attendance will be allowed to speak to the Board during the open forum section.
Closed Meetings - meetings of the Board or Committees where only the Directors or Committee members and invited participants are allowed. In States where there are open meeting requirements, closed meetings are very minimal.
Executive Session - a form of a closed meeting. Typically, executive sessions are entered into from an open meeting and return to the open meeting to record the decisions made or to vote on the issue the executive session was utilized for. In States where open meeting requirements exist, the use of executive sessions are normally listed in the statute as well.
Per section 38-33.3-308 of The COLORADO COMMON INTEREST OWNERSHIP ACT, available through
lexisnexis:
(4) Matters for discussion by an executive or closed session are limited to:
(a) Matters pertaining to employees of the association or the managing agent's contract or involving the employment, promotion, discipline, or dismissal of an officer, agent, or employee of the association;
(b) Consultation with legal counsel concerning disputes that are the subject of pending or imminent court proceedings or matters that are privileged or confidential between attorney and client;
(c) Investigative proceedings concerning possible or actual criminal misconduct;
(d) Matters subject to specific constitutional, statutory, or judicially imposed requirements protecting particular proceedings or matters from public disclosure;
(e) Any matter the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of individual privacy;
(f) Review of or discussion relating to any written or oral communication from legal counsel.
Hence, the meeting you desire must be open to the any member who wants to attend.