Rent Real EstateAre Mushroom Meetings Weakening Your Homeowner Association?
Some homeowner association Boards have been accused of using the Mushroom Method in
dealing with owners: "Keep them in the dark and feed "em manure."
Board meetings are held to address important association business and, as a general
rule, should be open to association members. It makes sense. Doing business
behind closed doors only breeds suspicion.
However, there are exceptions to every rule. Occasionally, the
Board may need to hold an emergency meeting to address some urgent matter.
Emergencies can happen and it"s obviously impractical for the Board to notice up
the owners when there is one. These meetings sometimes need to take place by
conference call to expedite decision making. There is nothing wrong with an
occasional emergency meeting. On the other hand, some associations are in a
constant state of emergency since the Board has no advance planning. And some
Boards use the "emergency" meeting to get around the open meeting requirement.
This is definitely mushroom methodology. Owners have a right to protest
vigorously.
Another exception involves what is called "executive session".
Executive sessions involve sensitive matters that should not be discussed in
open forums, such as lawsuits, personnel matters and collection activity on
owners. Again, the topics for executive session should be limited and the format
not used just to keep owners out.
Board meetings should be held in guest friendly locations to
encourage participation. Even when no guests show up, it symbolically builds
trust. Meetings should be scheduled way in advance (a year’s not too far), at a
convenient time and place. The schedule should be given to owners so that they
can plan to attend or present an issue to the Board.
Open Board meetings are the way association business should be
transacted. If you are keeping your owners in the dark and unhappy, purge the
mushroom meetings and cultivate "fun-people".
For more information on this subject, see www.Regenesis.net.