Permission to Speak at BOD Meetings

What state do you reside in?

David,
I understand your concern but I fail to see where this request to speack is out of line.
If the Board will only allow you to speak about agenda items and you don;t know the agenda, that is unreasonable. But, if the Board is saying we will have an "open" session in our meeting that anyone can speak on any topic, that is reasonable.

One reason the Board might like to know before the meeting what folks are going to speak about, they could do some reasearch into the subject and have ready answers. Another might be that they desire to set aside a time frame for "comments".

I have a feeling there is more to the story.

Donna, when your BOD is discussing an agenda item, after BOD has made all their comments to each other, is it then that you ask for comments from the members? After members speak, then what, do you make a motion on the item and move on? Can members sign in at the door with a request to speak (one of our ideas)? Our BOD meetings are currently a free for all venting forum, the opposite problem of David's! We, BOD, sit at a long table at the front of the room facing the membership, and members speak out throughout the entire meeting. Our BOD is discussing having our nine board members sit at a round table facing the other directors to help minimize this problem. I have been told that with 720 we don't even have to let members speak AT ALL unless it is an agenda item that is brought to the BOD by petition of 20% of the members. That seems extreme to me. We do not have Robert's Rules in docs, just trying to follow some sort of parlimentary procedure going forward.

Colorado statute provides for homeowner notification and attendence at every Board meeting. Also, homeowners must be allowed to speak at Board meetings. I think this will be picked up by most states legislators in the near future since once one state passes a reasonable HOA statute others tend to follow.

Arizona allows a member or representative to speak before a formal action is taken on any item, as well as at other designated times during the meeting.
"... so desiring shall be permitted to attend and speak at an appropriate time during the deliberations and proceedings. The board may place reasonable time restrictions on those persons speaking during the meeting but shall permit a member or member's designated representative to speak before the board takes formal action on an item under discussion in addition to any other opportunities to speak."
There is no mention requiring a member to sign up to do this. Our board has an open period early in the meeting for members to bring up any topic they wish to discuss, in addition allowing them to speak during the meeting on items being discussed by the board. That is state law.
I don't understand rules that allow members to speak only after the meeting is over. What is the point of that? Whatever was discussed during the meeting is already done and over. And everyone has probably gotten up and gone home or are standing around talking. The board was elected by the members. Why would they take the attitude - "don't bother us with your problems?" Harold

Harold,
I guess that I better clarify how our very well functioning Board works as you seem to think that we do not allow members to speak during a meeting.

The post I wrote was directed to Dana who states that their BOD meetings are a "free for all, a venting forum." I stated that they need to take control and the statement that I wrote is how to handle an unruely board meeting. It had legal backing so it is a proper method to control some of these members who come in, call names and wander from subject to subject.

Board meetings are not venting venues for disgrunteled people who cannot follow proper procedures on dealing with their problems living in a deed restricted community. Board meetings are just that. Meetings of the Board of Directors, to make decisions and to discuss items that they will need to vote or okay on. They were voted into office to make decisions for the community without having a all resident participation in some of their time consuming work. No community that I have ever been associated with has a BOD who take their seats, vote yes or no and then adjourn. NONE!

Ideally, members have had information from prior meetings, newsletters, and such as to what is going on with their Board. They know that a budget is coming up for approval, they know that large contracts are being considered, and they know about assessments and improvements are due. They have had opportunities to address these prior to the Board votes at earlier meetings so that is when they should have had their time to speak, not after the fact, at vote time. I hope this is clearly understandable that we do allow residents to have their "air time"