What positive things has your board accomplished?

Let me start by saying our President has gotten a handle on the finances, gotten us a new management company, addressed the chimney issues, gotten the siding project done, and managed to get the other board members to at least stay awake during meetings.

He's the best!

(President) Dana

Is this what you mean't Donna?

We are just getting started, but we did have the first National Night Out gathering for our neighborhood. We also have calmed some of the demeanor of our property nazi (I mean manager).

We are in the process of putting together a proposal for adding to our common areas.

As a note, our turnover meeting was in May.

GEORGE!!!,
"
Where's your list on this thread? The post on the "bad things that Boards do is very extensive so I expect that you might be able to find a few good things to add to this list--YES?

Our first activist Board was installed in June, 2007. (Disclaimer - I'm the S/T).
Status:

We released our PM in favor of self-management, a PM which ate up virtually 1/3 of our annual dues.

We have gone from maybe 15% +30 day delinquent dues to virually no delinquencies.

We have virtually no complaints from our Membership about anything.

We provide regular Updates on virtually everything, including every nickle that comes in or goes out.

We have saved Membership additional money, biggest step making annual audits optional at Membership's direction.

We took up Community123.com on their recent offer and will soon have a web site.

We will lower dues, for the first time in our 8 years, in 2009.

We are the champions of the HOA world (at least to Membership).

Thank you, Donna.

I'd also add to your comments that the Loudest are often the Most Least Likely to step up to the plate (GO PHILLIES!) to volunteer their time to make their communities better. Sitting back and only giving Bronx Cheers is much easier than picking up the old rosin bag (GO PHILLIES!), rubbing the ball and getting one's hands soiled.

And my pappy used to say, "The mouse is always quietest after the trap has sprung!"

Knowing what their complaints will be going in will help you make them look silly. There are so many issues that a board has to deal with and as a good board member you should know them all. That means you have a plan and that puts you in control.

No matter what an owner gripes about you should have an answer that can shut them down.

Maybe I'm getting bold but I really think we've thought of everything and are now addressing it or will address it as funds become available.

My main concern is still the shortfall in reserves due to lack of proper funding in the association's first 24 years.

Dana

Dana,

You are so right in that when a member goes on the attack or just asks a reasonable question, a good board member needs to know many answers. Number 1, your own documents should be at least understandable to you. At first, it was nothing but lots of lawyer words. Rereading them a few times sorted out what they meant.

Number 2, Know what a Boards limitations are in following the State HOA Statutes. Those are actually easier than the developements documents. Again, they need to be read a few times.

Number 3, Work together as a single board unit. Division will kill the flow of cross information and communication. Pay attention to what really is happening within the community so that when you get blind sided by an irate homeowner, you know what they are angry about.

Number 4, Be prepared. A Board members job is not for 2 hours a month or whenever meetings are held. Keep on top of the job that the P.M. is doing or committee meetings being held. Act as a liason because you have the right to do so.

Well, we HAVE gotten some long delayed improvements - repaved one street and the parking lots on another. When we replaced the roofs (due to a hailstorm two years ago), we also worked with our contractor in finding more damage than the adjuster did - that lead to some siding work, as well.

We have a new layout for our newsletter (which I help edit, so some of this DOES sound self serving). However, the information is better organized, thanks in part to a copywriter friend who's sent me several valuable tips (now if only we had the money for color!)

One of our Board members went to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and we got some donated flowers for the community, and she also helped bring in a summer lunch program. It doesn't cost the Association anything and is very beneficial to our residents. She also helped us find a new landscaping service company that's run by a non-profit organization that works with young people. We hope that not only will the Association save money, but help the community by keeping some kids busy.

We still have tons of challenges, but I think most of the members of the board are trying to "think outside the box" in finding solutions to our problems. Previously, we let the Board president do a lot of things, partially because it sounded like it made sense and no one else was interested in doing it. However, we learned the hard way that this leads to micromanaging AND burnout (he resigned the day after one meeting where we voted to write off some accounts we couldn't collect). Our current president works her tail off, but she's also had health issues and is helping to raise a granddaughter, so that forces the rest of us to step up and help.

Donna, I have a board of 5 women and not a one of them holds my hand. Dang it! Just how lucky is that guy!

Sheliah, your thinking outside the box is proving to be quite valuable.

Dana