Jump to content
The Official RONR Q & A Forums

Limiting Debate - Calling the Question


Guest KI

Recommended Posts

I am the president of our HOA and we have our annual membership meeting in 2 weeks where we will be discussing changes in our bylaws and hopefully passing some badly needed amendments. I have been told that a small group of members who are opposed to any changes and are planning to try and drag out the discussion of the bylaws and offer multiple amendments in the hopes that the membership will give up and withdraw the bylaws amendments. I see in RONR that there are motions to "Limit Debate" or "Call for the Question" that would limit the time allotted to discussions and motions to allow a motion to be voted up or down. How and when should a Limit to debate or Call for the question be introduced? Should the limit the debate motion be made at the same time as the motion for approval of the bylaws is opened for discussion (after the bylaws motion is made and seconded)? I was thinking that 2 hours would be sufficient. There are only 25 members in the HOA and most will not say anything at all. Then after 2 hours "Call the Question?". Most of the members don't want to have another 4+ hour meeting. From what I see, it would require a 2/3 vote for either a Limit to Debate or Call the Question type motion to pass, which is what it takes to pass the bylaws so I don't see a problem with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My advice would be to have someone make a motion after the meeting is opened, when nothing else is pending, to Limit Debate on all debatable motions to 1 speech of ______minutes per person (and keep the number low), rather than box yourself in to a total time. 2/3 vote to adopt. All of the gory details about limiting debate begin on p. 183 in RONR, by the way.

Then you won't have to worry about people rambling on and on if it's adopted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My advice would be to have someone make a motion after the meeting is opened, when nothing else is pending, to Limit Debate on all debatable motions to 1 speech of ______minutes per person (and keep the number low), rather than box yourself in to a total time. 2/3 vote to adopt. All of the gory details about limiting debate begin on p. 183 in RONR, by the way.

Then you won't have to worry about people rambling on and on if it's adopted.

... and if this doesn't work as to any particular amendment being considered, members may still move the previous question, thus solving the problem rather quickly if two-thirds of the members want no further debate or amendment. Review Section 16 as well as Section 15 very carefully, and make sure you have some members who have done the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the membership is only 25 and most people will not speak, why worry. Members only have an absolute right to speak once - members can only speak more than once if no one else is attempting to gain the floor. That should help slow down people speaking.

I agree with the limit to debate, however, do not make it too short a period. Otherwise, you might be there longer as member argue over this rather than the amendments. I would suggest five minutes - however, these members do have the right to debate the motion and to use debate to try and convince their fellow members to agree with them - that is partly why we have debate.

If debate becomes repetitious, as Chairman, you have the right to rule a member out of order as he/she is simply bringing back up things that have already been said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the membership is only 25 and most people will not speak, why worry. Members only have an absolute right to speak once - members can only speak more than once if no one else is attempting to gain the floor. That should help slow down people speaking.

Members have a right to speak twice, and for up to ten minutes each time, on every debatable motion, and the fear is that multiple subsidiary motions to amend will be offered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...