Point of Information

[Apadana]

Can a board member ask the members a question or is this only allowed by the chair? Would this question to the members be called Point of Information?

[Tim Wynn]

Can a board member ask the members a question or is this only allowed by the chair? Would this question to the members be called Point of Information?

What's the question that the board member would ask, and is this a board meeting, and are these board members?

[Guest Apadana]

The board meeting is a Homeowners Association. I'm a new board member and the item of business was the recent Asphalt Seal Coat that is showing deep tire gouges. I expressed my observation and I asked the homeowners members if they also have observed these gouges. The chair stopped a member from answering.

[Gary c Tesser]

If you have the floor, then of course you may ask questions. The issue is, it is you, and no one else, who has the floor, so no one else has the right to speak. Of course, you could have raised the Request for Information (new, clearer name) as part of your own speech. Then the chair should invited responses (the time which that takes is taken out of your allotted speaking time). P. 294 - 295, and in RONR-In Brief, which is briefer, the footnote on p. 95, and the middle of p. 131.

In short, I think the chair was being overly finicky.

[Guest Edgar]

In short, I think the chair was being overly finicky.

Considering this is very likely to have been a "small" board (i.e. with relaxed rules) I'd say that's putting it (too) mildly.

[Dan Honemann]

But the facts are still unclear. It appears possible that the question was addressed to association members present at the board meeting (not just board members), and it was one of these association members who was not allowed to respond.

[Gary c Tesser]

But the facts are still unclear. It appears possible that the question was addressed to association members present at the board meeting (not just board members), and it was one of these association members who was not allowed to respond.

That is the way I read it ("I asked the homeowners members if they also have observed these gouges. The chair stopped a member from answering" -- Guest_Apadana, post 3), bit it seemed to me that to pause and process a suspension of the rules, to allow the non-board-member to speak, would be excessively technical, since it would probably require the chair to explain, at least to the board members, such as Guest_Apadana, the necessity; and if there were an objection, taking a vote (with its very likely requirement of making sure the association members didn't vote). I have in mind, say, p. 456, lines 13 - 18, and probably a couple of other places.

I would also expect that all this should not be taken out of Guest_Apadana's speaking time -- which, in turn, would require the chairman to direct the timekeeper to stop the clock at the beginning of the process (Whenever that would be -- probably when the chair stopped the association member from speaking), and hopefully remember to tell him to start the clock again when Guest_Apadana resumed her speech.

[Guest Edgar]

I would also expect that all this should not be taken out of Guest_Apadana's speaking time . . .

"Speaking time"? In a small board?

[Gary c Tesser]

This would allow the assembly to hear the association member's reply to Guest Apadana's question and go on with it, as the "resulting colloquy" would already have been monitored by the chair; also as in the comparable situation in public session, as particularly on p. 96, line 32 - p. 97, line 4.

(Yikes, now I can't even delete!)

[Guest Apadana]

Thank you for the responses. This is my first time on this Forum and this is all very technical for me.

I'm the board of director that requested the item of business "Asphalt Seal Coat" at the board meeting. I gave my observation of the gouges which took a few minutes then I asked the association members if they observed the gouges. That's when the chair stopped a member from giving his reply.

[Gary c Tesser]

"Speaking time"? In a small board?

I would think not always, but not out of the question. P. 488 says that the number of speeches is not limited, but does not do away with the duration of speeches; and informal discussion is allowed "while no motion is pending," but what about when a motion is pending?

But perhaps I'm being the finicky one here. Guest Apadana, what were the facts on the ground (understanding that, yes, you're new)?

[Dan Honemann]

That is the way I read it ("I asked the homeowners members if they also have observed these gouges. The chair stopped a member from answering" -- Guest_Apadana, post 3), bit it seemed to me that to pause and process a suspension of the rules, to allow the non-board-member to speak, would be excessively technical, since it would probably require the chair to explain, at least to the board members, such as Guest_Apadana, the necessity; and if there were an objection, taking a vote (with its very likely requirement of making sure the association members didn't vote). I have in mind, say, p. 456, lines 13 - 18, and probably a couple of other places.

I would also expect that all this should not be taken out of Guest_Apadana's speaking time -- which, in turn, would require the chairman to direct the timekeeper to stop the clock at the beginning of the process (Whenever that would be -- probably when the chair stopped the association member from speaking), and hopefully remember to tell him to start the clock again when Guest_Apadana resumed her speech.

Board members at board meetings have absolutely no business addressing questions to nonmembers (even questions addressed to members should be addressed through the chair), and nonmembers have absolutely no right to respond.

If we have the facts right, the chair was right.

[Gary c Tesser]

(O, I see posts 10 and 11 crossed in the mail.)

Yes, Guest Apadana, it can seem awfully technical, and sometimes it is. Please, I urge you, get a copy of RONR-In Brief. And read it at once. Without delay. In an hour, you will be years ahead of those who don't bother, and think they can wing it. I usually get excited and tell new people not even to leave the bookstore, just stand there for the hour it should take to read it the first time, but I'm more relaxed and easygoing lately, notwithstanding an inclination to finickiness.

[Guest Apadana]

Gary,

I just received RONR-In Brief by mail and immediately went to page 131 middle of the page:

Request for Information (also called Point of Information)- an inquiry as to facts affecting the business at hand- directed to the chair or, through the chair, to a member. RONR 11th ed, pp 294-95.

I should have been allowed to let the member in the audience give his opinion about the asphalt gouges.

Thank you!!!

Apadana

[Guest Edgar]

Board members at board meetings have absolutely no business addressing questions to nonmembers (even questions addressed to members should be addressed through the chair), and nonmembers have absolutely no right to respond.

I just received RONR-In Brief by mail and immediately went to page 131 middle of the page:

Request for Information (also called Point of Information)- an inquiry as to facts affecting the business at hand- directed to the chair or, through the chair, to a member. RONR 11th ed, pp 294-95.

I should have been allowed to let the member in the audience give his opinion about the asphalt gouges.

Starring Strother Martin as The Wrathful One?

[tctheatc]

I just received RONR-In Brief by mail and immediately went to page 131 middle of the page:

Request for Information (also called Point of Information)- an inquiry as to facts affecting the business at hand- directed to the chair or, through the chair, to a member. RONR 11th ed, pp 294-95.

I should have been allowed to let the member in the audience give his opinion about the asphalt gouges.

I am not following the logic used here at all. You might want to read post #12 again, before or after you watch the above video.

[Gary c Tesser]

Gary,

I just received RONR-In Brief by mail and immediately went to page 131 middle of the page:

Request for Information (also called Point of Information)- an inquiry as to facts affecting the business at hand- directed to the chair or, through the chair, to a member. RONR 11th ed, pp 294-95.

Apadana, please note that what I wrote before was partly wrong, and that it has been corrected. Note Mr Honemann's post, #12; around here, we routinely defer to what Mr Honemann says (partly because his name is on the book, and also because we like his boat). And please note that the quotation refers to a member -- which means, a member of the group that is actually meeting at the time -- which, at a board meeting, means only, only, only members of the board, and not at all members of the larger organization.

I should have been allowed to let the member in the audience give his opinion about the asphalt gouges.

Given the above stuff, no. The board would have had to vote to suspend the rules (or give unanimous consent) to allow a non-board-member to speak. (And, of course, that discussion would be through the chair.)