HOA Boards Can Conduct Meetings More Efficiently by Implementing a “Consent Agenda”

The conducting of HOA board of directors meetings can be quite time consuming and result in much business not getting timely completed. An effective way to properly deal with all matters in a more efficient and time saving manner is to implement the use of an HOA consent agenda. Robert’s Rules defines a “Consent Agenda” as a grouping of non-controversial agenda items that are expected to be approved without discussion. An association’s board is then permitted to approve all of the items on the consent agenda collectively without having to spend the time discussing and voting on each separate item.

The types of matters of HOA business that would typically be included on a consent agenda are those items that would generally be considered routine and involve noncontroversial and/or procedural decisions by the directors. Examples include items such as: approving minutes, reports and proposals concerning items that the board is familiar with from prior dealings, appointments to committees, and items that require no action.

In order to dispose of matters of business on a consent agenda, the association’s board of directors needs to adopt a rule of order that allows for the disposition of certain business through the utilization of a consent agenda. The association’s directors should all be informed about the use of the consent agenda as part of an orientation when they are first elected to the board. Each director must understand what matters belong on the consent agenda and the procedure to follow in order to move items from the consent agenda so that there can be a discussion and vote about the particular item that had been placed on the HOA consent agenda.

Once the association has adopted a rule that permits the approval of association business on an HOA consent agenda, the placing of matters on the consent agenda and the disposition of those matters typically involves the following process:

Preparation of the Agenda– the president or other person who prepares the meeting agenda, makes a determination as to whether an particular item is appropriate for inclusion on the consent agenda. If so, the president prepares a numbered list of the consent items that will then be incorporated into, or attached as an exhibit to, the meeting agenda.

Circulation of the Consent Agenda and supporting documents to directors and members–