JamesP5 (Florida)
Posts: 1
Posts: 1
Posted:
Any suggestions to increase attendance/participation in monthly meetings?
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Increasing homeowner attendance at meetings
Started by JamesP5 • 13 replies • 2488 views
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HB (Oregon)
Posts: 143
Posts: 143
Posted:
You could try including something regarding a potential budget increase or special assessment on the agenda. That always gets more people to show up, but they will catch on after a few times.
This is one of those topics that can make you feel like you are beating your head against a wall. I would say as long as you are doing your part by informing everyone of the meetings, then don't worry whether people "want" to attend.
We sometimes have ONE homeowner besides the Board at meetings. . . pretty lame. We are still going to conduct the meeting and take care of association business. I asked my co-worker one time if she attends meetings in her HOA and she said no. She might only attend the annual meeting. I asked why? She said that as long as everything was running smoothly, she didn't want to be bothered with HOA stuff.
The homeowners you are trying to encourage to attend are adults who have $$ invested in their home. If that isn't encouragement enough, then don't worry about it.
This is one of those topics that can make you feel like you are beating your head against a wall. I would say as long as you are doing your part by informing everyone of the meetings, then don't worry whether people "want" to attend.
We sometimes have ONE homeowner besides the Board at meetings. . . pretty lame. We are still going to conduct the meeting and take care of association business. I asked my co-worker one time if she attends meetings in her HOA and she said no. She might only attend the annual meeting. I asked why? She said that as long as everything was running smoothly, she didn't want to be bothered with HOA stuff.
The homeowners you are trying to encourage to attend are adults who have $$ invested in their home. If that isn't encouragement enough, then don't worry about it.
RobertR1 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5,164
Posts: 5,164
Posted:
HB,
I am not sure you are saying this but if you are, this has always confused me.
The assumption some board have that if no one is providing input to the association, every one is happy.
The second being that things can be judged and labeled and reason it out to be because no one said anything. Isn't that the same logic that you would use if one member showed up and voiced his opinion, that constitutes a law.
In other words you can influence if you keep your mouth shut but you can't influence if you speak up.
I think to answer the OP, I would suggest at the first meeting of the new board after the annual meeting, a couple board members be assigned the specific job of presenting a plan to increase membership attendence. A visual chart should be publicly displayed that reports on each and every Board meeting attendence figures.
Have each Board member bring one owner. Next time have those owners bring a member. Of course, if you don't have a website..........get one and make full use of e-mail blasts to announce meeting, board actions.
I am not sure you are saying this but if you are, this has always confused me.
The assumption some board have that if no one is providing input to the association, every one is happy.
The second being that things can be judged and labeled and reason it out to be because no one said anything. Isn't that the same logic that you would use if one member showed up and voiced his opinion, that constitutes a law.
In other words you can influence if you keep your mouth shut but you can't influence if you speak up.
I think to answer the OP, I would suggest at the first meeting of the new board after the annual meeting, a couple board members be assigned the specific job of presenting a plan to increase membership attendence. A visual chart should be publicly displayed that reports on each and every Board meeting attendence figures.
Have each Board member bring one owner. Next time have those owners bring a member. Of course, if you don't have a website..........get one and make full use of e-mail blasts to announce meeting, board actions.
MichaelT6 (California)
Posts: 46
Posts: 46
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By JamesP5 on 02/06/2010 8:02 PM
Any suggestions to increase attendance/participation in monthly meetings?
Any suggestions to increase attendance/participation in monthly meetings?
People don't attend because:
1) they don't like the format of the meeting. If I come to ask a question about something, I have to waste my time listening to irrelevant agenda, listen to other people's questions, and when I am finally allowed to ask - I am limited in time. The Q&A is allocated certain time (say, 10 minutes), no matter how many homeowners attend.
2) they don't like that very few other homeowners attend. If I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible.
3) people are not vocal. Many would rather send an e-mail and try to resolve an issue or ask question that way. More importantly, it's much faster - no need to wait for that one day of the month.
These and MANY MANY other reasons why people don't attend the meetings are easily solved with online forum where board is officially represented.
HB (Oregon)
Posts: 143
Posts: 143
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MichaelT6 on 02/06/2010 10:37 PM
Posted By JamesP5 on 02/06/2010 8:02 PM
Any suggestions to increase attendance/participation in monthly meetings?
Any suggestions to increase attendance/participation in monthly meetings?
People don't attend because:
1) they don't like the format of the meeting. If I come to ask a question about something, I have to waste my time listening to irrelevant agenda, listen to other people's questions, and when I am finally allowed to ask - I am limited in time. The Q&A is allocated certain time (say, 10 minutes), no matter how many homeowners attend.
2) they don't like that very few other homeowners attend. If I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible.
3) people are not vocal. Many would rather send an e-mail and try to resolve an issue or ask question that way. More importantly, it's much faster - no need to wait for that one day of the month.
These and MANY MANY other reasons why people don't attend the meetings are easily solved with online forum where board is officially represented.
I would say that you can have an influence by either speaking up or not saying anything (depending on what you are trying to convey). I think you would know if things weren't all peachy in an HOA . . . the Board would have some detractors, or at the very least some complaints. Unless you live in La la land, you have a feeling how things are going.
1) We normally do not have a ton of business to get through at Board meetings, so if people do attend it is fairly quick and then we have a good amount of time for Open Forum. We have not had to limit anyones time and feel that the Open Forum is where we get the most suggestions for changes. Our Board meetings are pretty small, but we always have quorum at the annual meeting.
2)We have a neighborhood email group that is used frequently, so people can and do raise issues for everyone to know about whenever they feel like it. Mostly it is a social outlet for people.
3)We highly encourage email correspondence in-between meetings to the group email, to the Board, to the MC, whatever people feel comfortable with and are very quick to respond.
MichaelT6 (California)
Posts: 46
Posts: 46
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By HB on 02/07/2010 4:03 PM
I would say that you can have an influence by either speaking up or not saying anything (depending on what you are trying to convey). I think you would know if things weren't all peachy in an HOA . . . the Board would have some detractors, or at the very least some complaints. Unless you live in La la land, you have a feeling how things are going.
1) We normally do not have a ton of business to get through at Board meetings, so if people do attend it is fairly quick and then we have a good amount of time for Open Forum. We have not had to limit anyones time and feel that the Open Forum is where we get the most suggestions for changes. Our Board meetings are pretty small, but we always have quorum at the annual meeting.
2)We have a neighborhood email group that is used frequently, so people can and do raise issues for everyone to know about whenever they feel like it. Mostly it is a social outlet for people.
3)We highly encourage email correspondence in-between meetings to the group email, to the Board, to the MC, whatever people feel comfortable with and are very quick to respond.
I would say that you can have an influence by either speaking up or not saying anything (depending on what you are trying to convey). I think you would know if things weren't all peachy in an HOA . . . the Board would have some detractors, or at the very least some complaints. Unless you live in La la land, you have a feeling how things are going.
1) We normally do not have a ton of business to get through at Board meetings, so if people do attend it is fairly quick and then we have a good amount of time for Open Forum. We have not had to limit anyones time and feel that the Open Forum is where we get the most suggestions for changes. Our Board meetings are pretty small, but we always have quorum at the annual meeting.
2)We have a neighborhood email group that is used frequently, so people can and do raise issues for everyone to know about whenever they feel like it. Mostly it is a social outlet for people.
3)We highly encourage email correspondence in-between meetings to the group email, to the Board, to the MC, whatever people feel comfortable with and are very quick to respond.
HB, your answer missed this one:
People don't like that very few other homeowners attend. If I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible.
Let me add more to this: I also want as many homeowners as possible to hear the answer from the board at the same meeting.
James, with online forum where the board is officially represented you would have near 100% attendance. People would read only what matters to them, would feel much less stressed asking questions, the sense of community will flow in both directions: between the board and the members. You will never achieve anything like that through the meetings.
HB (Oregon)
Posts: 143
Posts: 143
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MichaelT6 on 02/07/2010 5:51 PM
Posted By HB on 02/07/2010 4:03 PM
I would say that you can have an influence by either speaking up or not saying anything (depending on what you are trying to convey). I think you would know if things weren't all peachy in an HOA . . . the Board would have some detractors, or at the very least some complaints. Unless you live in La la land, you have a feeling how things are going.
1) We normally do not have a ton of business to get through at Board meetings, so if people do attend it is fairly quick and then we have a good amount of time for Open Forum. We have not had to limit anyones time and feel that the Open Forum is where we get the most suggestions for changes. Our Board meetings are pretty small, but we always have quorum at the annual meeting.
2)We have a neighborhood email group that is used frequently, so people can and do raise issues for everyone to know about whenever they feel like it. Mostly it is a social outlet for people.
3)We highly encourage email correspondence in-between meetings to the group email, to the Board, to the MC, whatever people feel comfortable with and are very quick to respond.
I would say that you can have an influence by either speaking up or not saying anything (depending on what you are trying to convey). I think you would know if things weren't all peachy in an HOA . . . the Board would have some detractors, or at the very least some complaints. Unless you live in La la land, you have a feeling how things are going.
1) We normally do not have a ton of business to get through at Board meetings, so if people do attend it is fairly quick and then we have a good amount of time for Open Forum. We have not had to limit anyones time and feel that the Open Forum is where we get the most suggestions for changes. Our Board meetings are pretty small, but we always have quorum at the annual meeting.
2)We have a neighborhood email group that is used frequently, so people can and do raise issues for everyone to know about whenever they feel like it. Mostly it is a social outlet for people.
3)We highly encourage email correspondence in-between meetings to the group email, to the Board, to the MC, whatever people feel comfortable with and are very quick to respond.
HB, your answer missed this one:
People don't like that very few other homeowners attend. If I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible.
Let me add more to this: I also want as many homeowners as possible to hear the answer from the board at the same meeting.
James, with online forum where the board is officially represented you would have near 100% attendance. People would read only what matters to them, would feel much less stressed asking questions, the sense of community will flow in both directions: between the board and the members. You will never achieve anything like that through the meetings.
I did address the "if I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible" by having a pretty active neighborhood email posting group. I am not sure how other neighborhoods use theirs, but ours is used to debate certain aspects of HOA life (whether to change MC's, landscape contracts, dues, etc.). We also post extensive notes from our Board meetings for all to ask questions about or to comment on. Homeowners are more likely to get a larger audience through this email group than attending meetings. We are a very informed neighborhood, so as a Board member we do not dwell on low turnout at regular Board meetings.
Like I said, it can be like beating your head against the wall trying to increase attendance, especially if you are doing your job and there are no other issues.
MichaelT6 (California)
Posts: 46
Posts: 46
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By HB on 02/07/2010 9:44 PM
I did address the "if I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible" by having a pretty active neighborhood email posting group. I am not sure how other neighborhoods use theirs, but ours is used to debate certain aspects of HOA life (whether to change MC's, landscape contracts, dues, etc.). We also post extensive notes from our Board meetings for all to ask questions about or to comment on. Homeowners are more likely to get a larger audience through this email group than attending meetings. We are a very informed neighborhood, so as a Board member we do not dwell on low turnout at regular Board meetings.
Like I said, it can be like beating your head against the wall trying to increase attendance, especially if you are doing your job and there are no other issues.
I did address the "if I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible" by having a pretty active neighborhood email posting group. I am not sure how other neighborhoods use theirs, but ours is used to debate certain aspects of HOA life (whether to change MC's, landscape contracts, dues, etc.). We also post extensive notes from our Board meetings for all to ask questions about or to comment on. Homeowners are more likely to get a larger audience through this email group than attending meetings. We are a very informed neighborhood, so as a Board member we do not dwell on low turnout at regular Board meetings.
Like I said, it can be like beating your head against the wall trying to increase attendance, especially if you are doing your job and there are no other issues.
E-mail posting group is essentially a forum. Our HOA also has one - it works great just like you described. Except one "minor" thing: the board does not participate. Anytime there is an issue raised, the board members do know about it, but the homeowners do not get ANY response - unless, of course, they attend the meeting. In fact, those who attend would sometimes later on share on the forum the answers they got from the board meeting. Like it or not, but rather than answer directly on the forum the board prefers to keep the homeowners informed through this broken communication line.
It's great your HOA posts extensive notes from the Board meetings - it is still one-way communcation with the homeowners (I am talking about 97% who do not attend meetings). A forum where the board represented is a two-way communication, with 100% attendance.
MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043
Posts: 7,043
Posted:
Michael,
I believe the CA Davis-Stirling Act requires open meetings. This could be a reason the board has chosen to not participate in your email posting group. AZ also has an open meeting law which prevents a quorum of the board from discussing assn business whether a vote or any action is taken or not. In fact, email communications between a quorum of the board is also prohibited. This forum of which you speak is just like a meeting even though it hasn't been posted as a meeting and there is no agenda to follow. It is more or less an informal meeting, which in AZ, a quorum of board members would be prohibited from attending unless it was properly noticed.
I believe the CA Davis-Stirling Act requires open meetings. This could be a reason the board has chosen to not participate in your email posting group. AZ also has an open meeting law which prevents a quorum of the board from discussing assn business whether a vote or any action is taken or not. In fact, email communications between a quorum of the board is also prohibited. This forum of which you speak is just like a meeting even though it hasn't been posted as a meeting and there is no agenda to follow. It is more or less an informal meeting, which in AZ, a quorum of board members would be prohibited from attending unless it was properly noticed.
DanielH1 (California)
Posts: 482
Posts: 482
Posted:
Like somebody else said, threats of a fee increase will work for a few times.
At my last HOA, they said that they tried serving food (a gourmet buffet from what I heard) but it only worked once. Thereafter, even if great food was served, people wouldn't show up. I must rely on their testimony, though, because this "experiment" was before I bought in.
Many, many notices at various times (e.g. 1 month before, 2 weeks before, 1 week before, 1 day before, on the day) and in various forms (e.g. e-mail, forum postings, in the common area, on people's doors, door-to-door) usually causes a few more people to show up.
Hiring a group of professional ninjas to break into people's houses, kidnap them at gunpoint and force them to attend meetings would probably work.
But, as others have said, I'm not terribly concerned about low attendance. Attendance is a right, not an obligation; if you don't want to come, don't come. I have shares of Microsoft stock but I don't attend the shareholders meeting; I have the right to attend public utilities hearings but I don't go; I can attend my City Council meetings but I never do; I even co-own a small corporation with less than 5 co-owners and sometimes others skip meetings. Whatever the reason, it's your right NOT to show up, if you want.
But, of course, paying the fees is an obligation, not a right. People may not exercise their rights but they have to fulfill their obligations.
I would also say that I don't carry water for anybody. The meeting is where official action and discussion gets done. A problem can be brought up in an online forum but nobody is obligated to present it unless they choose to. People can tell me: "Hey, I want XXX presented at the meeting." Yeah? Well, go there and present it. If I think that it's important, I might do it but I'll do it because I want, not because they want. If something comes up in the online forum, I'll present it (or modify it) if it is something that makes sense to me but, if it isn't, they got to show up and get their point across. I'm not their personal representative and I don't carry anybody else's messages to the meetings. If they want their message to get there then they should attend the meeting.
And, finally, people who are too busy to attend or want to undo the meeting afterwards because they didn't attend and didn't like the outcome (Monday morning quarterbacks), they'll just have to live with it. I'm busy, too, but I manage to get to meetings. If somebody is too busy, too lazy or too dumb to protect their own interest, they'll just have to leave it all up to Fate.
At my last HOA, they said that they tried serving food (a gourmet buffet from what I heard) but it only worked once. Thereafter, even if great food was served, people wouldn't show up. I must rely on their testimony, though, because this "experiment" was before I bought in.
Many, many notices at various times (e.g. 1 month before, 2 weeks before, 1 week before, 1 day before, on the day) and in various forms (e.g. e-mail, forum postings, in the common area, on people's doors, door-to-door) usually causes a few more people to show up.
Hiring a group of professional ninjas to break into people's houses, kidnap them at gunpoint and force them to attend meetings would probably work.
But, as others have said, I'm not terribly concerned about low attendance. Attendance is a right, not an obligation; if you don't want to come, don't come. I have shares of Microsoft stock but I don't attend the shareholders meeting; I have the right to attend public utilities hearings but I don't go; I can attend my City Council meetings but I never do; I even co-own a small corporation with less than 5 co-owners and sometimes others skip meetings. Whatever the reason, it's your right NOT to show up, if you want.
But, of course, paying the fees is an obligation, not a right. People may not exercise their rights but they have to fulfill their obligations.
I would also say that I don't carry water for anybody. The meeting is where official action and discussion gets done. A problem can be brought up in an online forum but nobody is obligated to present it unless they choose to. People can tell me: "Hey, I want XXX presented at the meeting." Yeah? Well, go there and present it. If I think that it's important, I might do it but I'll do it because I want, not because they want. If something comes up in the online forum, I'll present it (or modify it) if it is something that makes sense to me but, if it isn't, they got to show up and get their point across. I'm not their personal representative and I don't carry anybody else's messages to the meetings. If they want their message to get there then they should attend the meeting.
And, finally, people who are too busy to attend or want to undo the meeting afterwards because they didn't attend and didn't like the outcome (Monday morning quarterbacks), they'll just have to live with it. I'm busy, too, but I manage to get to meetings. If somebody is too busy, too lazy or too dumb to protect their own interest, they'll just have to leave it all up to Fate.
MichaelT6 (California)
Posts: 46
Posts: 46
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MaryA1 on 02/08/2010 8:57 AM
Michael,
I believe the CA Davis-Stirling Act requires open meetings. This could be a reason the board has chosen to not participate in your email posting group. AZ also has an open meeting law which prevents a quorum of the board from discussing assn business whether a vote or any action is taken or not.
Michael,
I believe the CA Davis-Stirling Act requires open meetings. This could be a reason the board has chosen to not participate in your email posting group. AZ also has an open meeting law which prevents a quorum of the board from discussing assn business whether a vote or any action is taken or not.
Mary, participation of the board representative in the online discussions with the homeowners is not about board making decisions or taking actions, as you are implying. Davis-Stirling Act has nothing to do with it, this is not the reason why the board decided not to participate.
In fact, our PM has confirmed it would be totally legal (I guess a surprise for you, Mary) - as long as the board agrees to follow predefined rules (e.g. any statement on behalf of the board should be approved by all board members before it gets posted on the forum). From my point of view the board representative should only be there to inform the homeowners about the decisions that have already been made, clarify those decisions if there are any questions about them, etc., etc. In case there are any concerns discussed, he should prepare a statement on behalf of the board, and once all board members approve it - post it on the forum. These statements are to represent official position of the board, they are not a result of a vote. Any statement based on a vote should be posted after the vote takes place, so it should wait until next board meeting.
DanielH1 (California)
Posts: 482
Posts: 482
Posted:
From all that I've seen and read, there is no consensus in the legal community in regards to HOA Boards and online forums.
Lawyers and non-lawyers have their own opinions and advice but that's all it is: opinions and advice.
Lawyers and non-lawyers have their own opinions and advice but that's all it is: opinions and advice.
TomK5 (Ohio)
Posts: 3
Posts: 3
Posted:
We do not focus on increasing attendance at our monthly meetings - although anyone is welcome to join us and if they want, to bring business before the board.
We do work hard to get people to our annual meeting. Through notification and distribution of minutes, budgets, ballots, etc... help to bring them in.
We also established a marketing program where we have solicited local business where they ave provided gift cards, products, etc that we hand out to every new member AND we have the same items available for door prizes.
I am not sure the door prizes are the real reason for our increased, but I ma told that since the program opened about 4 years ago, the attendance at the annual meeting is the highest it has been ion 40 years.
We do work hard to get people to our annual meeting. Through notification and distribution of minutes, budgets, ballots, etc... help to bring them in.
We also established a marketing program where we have solicited local business where they ave provided gift cards, products, etc that we hand out to every new member AND we have the same items available for door prizes.
I am not sure the door prizes are the real reason for our increased, but I ma told that since the program opened about 4 years ago, the attendance at the annual meeting is the highest it has been ion 40 years.
HB (Oregon)
Posts: 143
Posts: 143
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MichaelT6 on 02/07/2010 11:16 PM
Posted By HB on 02/07/2010 9:44 PM
I did address the "if I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible" by having a pretty active neighborhood email posting group. I am not sure how other neighborhoods use theirs, but ours is used to debate certain aspects of HOA life (whether to change MC's, landscape contracts, dues, etc.). We also post extensive notes from our Board meetings for all to ask questions about or to comment on. Homeowners are more likely to get a larger audience through this email group than attending meetings. We are a very informed neighborhood, so as a Board member we do not dwell on low turnout at regular Board meetings.
Like I said, it can be like beating your head against the wall trying to increase attendance, especially if you are doing your job and there are no other issues.
I did address the "if I raise an issue, I want as many homeowners to hear it as possible" by having a pretty active neighborhood email posting group. I am not sure how other neighborhoods use theirs, but ours is used to debate certain aspects of HOA life (whether to change MC's, landscape contracts, dues, etc.). We also post extensive notes from our Board meetings for all to ask questions about or to comment on. Homeowners are more likely to get a larger audience through this email group than attending meetings. We are a very informed neighborhood, so as a Board member we do not dwell on low turnout at regular Board meetings.
Like I said, it can be like beating your head against the wall trying to increase attendance, especially if you are doing your job and there are no other issues.
E-mail posting group is essentially a forum. Our HOA also has one - it works great just like you described. Except one "minor" thing: the board does not participate. Anytime there is an issue raised, the board members do know about it, but the homeowners do not get ANY response - unless, of course, they attend the meeting. In fact, those who attend would sometimes later on share on the forum the answers they got from the board meeting. Like it or not, but rather than answer directly on the forum the board prefers to keep the homeowners informed through this broken communication line.
It's great your HOA posts extensive notes from the Board meetings - it is still one-way communcation with the homeowners (I am talking about 97% who do not attend meetings). A forum where the board represented is a two-way communication, with 100% attendance.
Our neighborhood forum includes the Board (they are homeowners too and should be able to participate). I think it is important for the Board to be able to express their opinions for the members to see. It's a great way for people to get to know their elected Board members. Meetings can often be too scripted and formal for real dialogue.
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