Journal Notes

by Michael Hamline, Editor / Published September 2024

The September issue offers several articles for those volunteering their time to serve as board of directors in their community associations. On page 6 Ashley Dietz Gray with Campbell Property Management shares guidelines for recording meeting minutes. She notes that meeting minutes should be a summary of the board’s actions, with proper recording of motion voted on and how each board member voted.

Max Glassburg is with Yardi Systems, and on page 8 he provides 10 recommendations that if adopted will help community managers (CAMs) to develop a strong board of directors. Board members should take pride in their work for the community, and CAMs should encourage the right people to join the board for the right reasons and keep board members motivated by showing them how the HOA benefits from their service.

Turn to page 14 to read the budgeting tips provided by Castle Group. Among other tips they recommend a thorough understanding of an association’s contractual obligations and the establishment of a quality control process that ensures all the figures and formulas are correct.

On page 42 Tara Tallaksen with Vesta Property Services shares the following five tips for serving on the board with confidence and effectiveness: immerse yourself in community knowledge, build strong relationships with fellow board members, educate yourself on HOA rules and regulations, attend training and seek mentorship, and communicate transparently with homeowners.

On page 44 Jeffrey Rembaum with Kaye Bender Rembaum summarizes the 2024 legislative clarifications for board members and managers. He addresses the recent legislative changes to certification requirements, certificate retention, and continuing education requirements for HOA and condominium association board members. He also highlights the new HOA and condominium association hurricane protection requirements as well as provides clarification of HOA website posting requirements.

Turn to page 56 to read the article from Laura Manning-Hudson with Siegfried Rivera that reminds associations that term limits of eight consecutive years for service by board members will kick in starting 2026. She provides a history of the term limits legislation.

Finally, on page 66 Betsy Barbieux addresses the many challenges board members face. She covers financial management, rules enforcement, board member recruitment, effective communication, disaster preparedness, social media strategies, and the role of professional management.

FLCAJ says, “Thanks for your service, board members.”

Editor