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Dear reader, A friend recently sent me this list of 15 issues that are puzzling for the council he staffs. Does your council struggle with any of these? Let us know by sending an email here! This will help us tailor our training to your real needs. Many of these issues are addressed in self-paced…
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Dear Dinosaur: Our council meeting took an interesting turn last week. The council comment period was over, and they were winding up public comments when two of our council members decided they had more to say. Are they allowed to speak during public comments? Should they recuse themselves from the meeting and then make their…
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“On the honor system” In the May newsletter I wrote about a president who declined to provide financial information to his HOA board of directors. He used the phrase “on the honor system.” When my friend, a board director, insisted on seeing details before approving checks, the president and board resisted, finally voting her off…
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Dear Dinosaur: One of our councilmembers puts question after question after question to the staff at meetings. Sometimes our meetings are five hours long! What can be done about this? Answer: This certainly can be a problem! We suggest that you discuss the matter with the council chair, mayor, and/or city manager, and see if…
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Dear Dinosaur: At a recent citizen advisory committee meeting, a colleague made hateful statements about a minority group as a whole. This was in response to diversity training we had received. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do. Answer: It is indeed shocking when someone makes outrageous statements attacking a category of people.…
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Homeowner and condo associations generate the highest number of inquiries to our “Dear Dinosaur” advice column. Month after month, we receive messages about HOA boards that appear to be unresponsive to homeowner members, dysfunctional, or otherwise incompetent. (To be fair, we also receive inquiries from board members about homeowners who are making life difficult for…
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A reader asks, “Where can I find the chain of command from the chairperson on down?” Several thoughts come to mind. This article covers nonprofit organizations—governmental bodies are different. Take our online course for great nonprofit meetings A nonprofit organization is not like a profit corporation In a profit corporation, there is a boss who…
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Dear Dinosaur: How can I find out about state laws pertaining to my organization? Do I have to hire an attorney? Answer: You can learn about your state’s laws pertaining to your type of organization on your own. You do not have to have a law degree to read the law and understand its plain…
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Dear Dinosaur: At our December board meeting, the board postponed an agenda item to early February. Is there any proper way to pull the item back early? Answer: Interestingly enough, Robert’s Rules allows an item to be postponed only to the next meeting, if it falls within a quarterly interval. You can read more about…
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Dear Dinosaur: Recently, two board members walked out during a roll call vote knowing that they were going to lose on the vote. Their departure ended the meeting because there was no longer a quorum. At the next meeting, they cited “Roberts Rules” that said they had a “right” to walk out as a filibuster and…
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