CAI-NJ November 2020

MANAGEMENT TRENDS ZOOM, ZOOM — Meetings!

By Elaine Warga-Murray, AMS, CMCA, PCAM RMG, Regency Management Group, Inc., AAMC

T here is a new way to have meetings!!! The new safe, social distancing protocol for meetings is now either ZOOM or GO TO MEETINGS . Management companies have really become proficient in conducting meetings in a way that allows for board members, commit- tee members and residents to participate, simply observe, or just listen while meetings are in session. Documents can be displayed and discussed, and even though all meetings can be recorded, *Attorneys recommend that boards and managers not record all meetings. During these special times when it is not safe to conduct meetings in person, management firms have a solution that is working well. Most companies have purchased Zoom Enterprise licenses to be used by all current and future communities under contract or prospective clients. It is a great way to meet and interview a prospective management firm, and it is an effective way to conduct board meetings, workshops or open meetings which allow for resident observation and/or participation. Having had to utilize these methods during the strict quar- antine months, we are now conducting Zoom sessions on a regular basis. There are several ways to keep community members informed and involved, even though clubhouses are closed for large groups, and outside venues are not available for use by communities that do not have clubhouses or meeting rooms. As more communities have become more comfortable with having their meetings via teleconference, this is now an essential tool that improves on teleconferencing and lets all participants see the people speaking. There are different protocols for different meetings as follows: • Workshop Board Meetings – full access and everyone can speak. NEVER RECORD workshop meet- ings. These are informal discussions and attorneys recommend that simply minutes of specific items can be maintained, but recorded minutes can be subpoenaed and therefore should not be recorded.

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“There are several ways to keep community members informed and involved...”

• Open Board Meetings – Board, manager, attorney other main participants can speak; and homeowners will be muted when they join. Questions can be submitted in writing in the comments section of the Zoom module and then read and answered by the person running the meet- ing. Again, it is recommended that these meetings not be recorded even though minutes will be taken and retained. • Information Sessions – This is a good option to utilize for answering any questions that homeowners might have about new rules, the new budget, or a spe- cial circumstance in the community. Questions can be submitted in writing in the comments section of the Zoom module and then read and answered by the person run- ning the meeting. Again, no recording is recommended. • Candidates Night for Community Members Running for Board Positions – Board, manager, attorney and candidates can speak; homeowners will be muted upon joining and unmuted if discussions are allowed. Questions can be submitted in writing in the comments section of the Zoom module and then read by the person running the meeting and then answered by

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