3 or 5 directors? Which is more efficient?

Hi everyone,

I'm a board member preparing to cast my vote on an increase in our board's size. We currently have 3 directors, someone has proposed we create 5. So far, I've received multiple opinions, some say the more hands the better, some say it will slow us down with discussion and disagreement and some predict we won't be able to reliably fill 5 so should have committees instead.

I'd like to ask anyone, maybe property managers, who has firsthand experience with both situation - which works better per your observations? We are a 68-unit community.

But what happens if you are operating with 5 and one person leaves? If you can't fill the spot you will have 4. So do you also have to write in a procedure for voting out one member? We can't have an even number.

No, you are within the acceptable limits, no less than three and no more than five.

So what if there are four members?

Even numbers are not necessarily perfect, but it would only be until the next election anyway, if you couldn't appoint someone.

I'm very keen on exactly what types of activities that boards are voting on that would be so critical as to bring an organization to a screeching halt . . .

Most boards meet at a minimum once a month; rarely more frequent than that. Some only meet every quarter.

This isn't a 24/7 or even a 9-5/5-day-a week job, where myriads and myriads of "motions" come up for a vote . . . .

Most of the work of a board does not revolve around making and voting on motions.

Most of the work of a board revolves around administrative functions, such as paying bills, mailing notices, answering resident concerns, seeing that the grass is cut. . . .

Michelle our community is a little lager (132) and our CC&R’s specify a five member BOD but they also allow the BOD to appoint an Assistant Secretary & Treasurer. Now these people have no vote but their assistance is extremely valuable; you might check if your documents allow something similar.

Three is too small, go for the 5.
And require that the board fill any vacancies within 30 days.

Dwight,
Oh I don't think Susan's intent is to dictate to individual associations that they do the impossible. It is more an obersvation that when a vacancy exists on a Board, there should be some requirement to fill it in 30 days. Obviously you association can't do this, not because it is a bad idea, but because of some other circumstances and who's to say your association is not going to have candidates for the Board next week or next year, associations are not static entities.

HB,
Over the years there has been some discussion here about why some associations have huge problems getting anyone to run for Board and other associations not so much. I don't think we ever reached consensus here other that to suggest that communication seems to play a role.It has been suggested that the more fulltime residents the more interest in the association developes. Lots of rentals seems to have a dampening effect on volunteers, but no statistics I recall pointing the finger. We know HOA's can go from well run to a mess rapidly. Weknow that not all Board recalls automatically result in better operation as new Board members are not a sign things will get better. I expect new ways of communication is going to result in new and better operation in the long run. E-mail, conference calls, cell phones, websites all seem to be positive contributions. I do think if there would be some requirement that all posters, when they make an entry, would have to supply some basic information, some rhetoic in responses would be reduced. For instance: you will notice, each member when the post here, their name and state appears automatic. If this info could be wired in to include other mandatory background, it would help. Example below:

HB....Oregon
HOA or condo
# members
# on Board
Annual Meeting date
Website yes or no and url included
Funded reserve

Well you get the idea. But this basic information would be posted automatically, just like a business card.

If the regular posters on this site wanted to make an issue of this to Hoatalk webmaster, maybe something could be worked out. The basic information desired would have to be settled on by the sponsors of this site and the methods of collecting the info and including it as a tag to the name would have to be figured out.

Thanks for all the replies!

We only have 35% owner-occupancy, which is why I think it's been difficult to fill the 3rd position historically. These two candidates have appeared and wanted positions. We offered to create committees, but they say they'd want to be on the board or not participate - no interest from them in the committee idea. Although, to me, that sounds like a better starting place. If we can keep 2 committee positions filled reliably, then maybe we can have 5 board members.

Michelle,

So, you're kicking around the idea of increasing the board to 5 members because 2 HOA members are interested to serve as board members. What if, after you increase to 5, you get another 2 who want to serve; are you going to propose increasing the board to 7 members? If you have 2 members interested in becoming board members then I would encourage them to run for a board position at the next annual election. I wouldn't be so quick to accommodate these 2 members, especially knowing they only want to be board members and have no desire to be a committee member. Frankly, that doesn't sound like someone who wants to serve their community; it sounds more like someone who has an agenda. I wouldn't be so quick to amend the bylaws for these two individuals.

I don't think that having an even or an odd number matters, either. Theoretically, it is slightly harder to pass resolutions with an even number but it doesn't seem to matter in practice.

At my HOA meetings, we periodically have a Board Member be absent and cause an even number of Board Members at the meeting but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Mary,

Good point!

IMO we need three but can have 5. The Association has chosen to seat five which spreads the work around and minimizes burn out.

Being self managed, we use a director for each officer and have created the following:

President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Maintenance Officer (overseas contracts and repairs).

The Board appoints a separate Architectural Committee and have chosen to have no representatives from the Board. We believe that this is better in case of any appeals to the Board a member might make.

Tim

The Board can assign non-Board Members to do jobs. I guess that it all depends on your HOA.

Mary,
Of course you are right. BOD are elected postions by the membership.
The duties of special appointments of the Board are just that. The duties are assigned by direction of the Board, not vote of the membership.

Daniel,

Well, I am under the opinion that more opinions agreeing seems to point to a better concensus of opinion, in which case, a larger number of Directors agreeing on something, seems to give more positive. Maybe it can but 5 or 7 members agreeing by a larger majority cannot be a bad thing, now can it?

Daniel,
Wasn't posted to make a compelling argument about anything.

You might be able to say, in general; the historic apathy of homeowners interest in their association. may extend to the interest Board members may have in attending meetings. Where as, a 3 member board that two members don't attend, would not allow for a quorum. Where as a five member board that was missing two members would still allow for a quorum and a legit meeting. But I won't suggest that.