Annual Meeting

We are holding our Annual Meeting this week.

In a letter that was sent with a ballot for approval of an assessment, we stated that a Q & A would be held at that meeting so that members could voice their opinions and hear the opinions of others prior to casting their votes.

The assessment ballot will not close for a week or ten days after the Annual Meeting giving members an opportunity to hear all sides.

Our manager has posted the agenda without this Q&A topic. He did not send it to anyone for approval before posting it.

I am the president and will chair this meeting so, my question is:

Can we hold this Q&A as part of the homeowners forum?

Would it be better to hold this Q&A informally after adjourning the meeting?

They do know that we want to host this type of Q&A. It was spelled out in a letter accompanying the request for approval of the assessment.

I don't believe there will be too many people upset about the assessment (we only have 40 members and I know many of them). The questions will be more what we are doing and how it will be implemented.

Most are in favor but I must not bend the rules of the meeting because we have one member who is a stickler!

I think it could be safely held in the HO Forum, which is noted on the agenda.

My concern is, in California, response to questions in the HO forum are intended to be brief (Board Meetings but not sure about Annual Member Meeting) and minutes taken.

It may be best to hold it informally after the meeting is adjourned and no minutes will be taken. That is, as long as it would not constitute a meeting without notice.

We thought, as our annual meetings are usually well attended, it would be a great opportunity to have discussion on this assessment. There should be no controversy - just genuine interest in what is happening in our community.

LOL.

Yeah, but when you have the "Chief of Davis-Stirling Police", waiting in the wings to catch you out, you gotta be careful

Hadn't thought of it that way. We don't minute everything talked about in open forum either.

I think that's going to be the best way to do this.

Decision made!

Thanks all.

Is the motion to call for the Assesment Increase on the agenda?

All homeowners needed to be noticed about that vote. How was that done?

The “discussion” step is part of any motion for the group that votes. How will that happen?

In CA, Sue, owners can vote by mail with their secret ballots. Then the ballots are opened and tabulated, any owner who wishes may observe the tabulation, so that occasion must be noticed, and I assume the mgr's office has room for the inspector(s( of election and perhaps more.

I wasn’t clear.

At some time at a board meeting, there was a mission to put this issue on the ballot.

At that time there should have been a “discussion” on the mission, where HOA members could have voiced opinions or asked questions. It doesn’t sound like that was done then.

Now the HOA members are being asked to vote on an issue they have no information on.

What opportunity are you arranging for resident to hear about how and why you have raised assessments?

Announce the time at the annual meeting.

What makes you think that our members have no information on the reason for a special assessment? Not a raise in the regular assessment.

As it happens, the reason (planned project ) has been the subject of endless discussion at meetings for several years and now has been implemented and can only be funded by special assessment.

A lengthy letter was included with the ballot explaining the project, the need for the project, and exactly how it is to be funded. in that letter it was suggested we have further explanation in a Q and A at the annual meeting because that meeting draws more attendance than monthly board meetings.

Bear in mind that we are a small HOA of 40 members so we don't experience the logistics of a large community.

Also, HOA members at board meetings in California are not allowed to discuss matters on the Agenda; rather, they participate in homeowners forums.