With nearly 50 registered neighborhood associations in Greenville, it's becoming more and more likely that Greenville residents will live in a community governed by an HOA.
The goal of an HOA is to create and enforce regulations that improve the community at large. HOA meetings are the cornerstone of a successful community association.
If you're a new member of the HOA board, you're probably wondering what to expect from HOA meetings. What kinds of topics are discussed? Who attends these meetings and why?
Read on as we discuss three things to expect from HOA meetings in Greenville, South Carolina.
1. Structure
While HOA meetings can bring neighbors together, they are not social events. To cover the agenda of each meeting, you're going to need to create a structure. This will typically include:
- Relaying the minutes from the previous meeting
- Establishing the agenda
- Sharing related reports (e.g., financial reports or management reports from individual committees)
- Voting for budget approval or to pass a new motion
- Community discussion
If your HOA struggles to gain control and keep things on track, it may be time to partner with the professionals. HOA community management can provide unbiased expertise to ensure that all aspects of your HOA, including community meetings, are meeting their highest potential.
2. Community Attendance
HOAs have quite a bit of freedom to create and enforce new rules in their communities. However, there are also state laws that your HOA must abide by. Many of these laws have to do with transparency, meaning that your community members have the right to know what their HOA is doing and why.
As a result, most, if not all, HOA meetings should be open to the residents of your governance. Oftentimes, the HOA annual meeting has the biggest turnout because it covers such broad ground. The annual meeting covers the outlined budget for the upcoming year, any new rules the HOA wants to enforce, and a review of last year's HOA successes (or lack thereof).
3. Grievances and Concerns
Some active community members attend HOA meetings because they want to stay involved and provide support. However, many community members attend HOA meetings when they feel compelled to air a grievance or discuss a concern.
It's important to take these conversations seriously and show your community members respect, even when they're speaking in opposition to the HOA. A healthy HOA can make space for debate without making community members feel alienated or dismissed.
PMI Can Improve HOA Meetings and More
HOA meetings are an integral part of any functional HOA. HOA meetings allow the community to come together to assess the health of the HOA and seek ways to improve it. HOA management provides third-party insight and expertise that can lead to better outcomes and better community relations.
PMI Southern States offers HOA management services including accounting, vendor coordination, compliance inspections, maintenance inspections, and more. We have helped countless community associations in Greenville become mainstays of their neighborhoods and we're ready to do the same for you. Contact us today to learn more.
