PRINTED BALLOT

[Guest Donald Pearson]

In four days my condo will have its annual meeting. The board of directors decided an item on the agenda and on the ballot should not be considered at this meeting. A motion can remove the item from the agenda, but how can the item removed from the ballot?

[Rob Elsman]

What makes the board think it has authority to prevent consideration of items of business at the annual meeting?

I am suspicious that the cart is pulling the horse.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 3/23/2023 at 12:20 AM, Guest Donald Pearson said:

In four days my condo will have its annual meeting. The board of directors decided an item on the agenda and on the ballot should not be considered at this meeting. A motion can remove the item from the agenda, but how can the item removed from the ballot?

I concur with @Rob Elsman.  If the board styles itself as a superior body the the membership, you are operating under rules that are very different from those in RONR.  That's not impossible, and it may be that condo associations are subject to state regulations that permit this, but I agree that suspicion is appropriate.

[Guest Donald Pearson]

I am one of the board members and the decision to remove the topic from the agenda is that we, the board, don't have enough information to conduct a discussion of the issue. 

[Richard Brown]

On 3/23/2023 at 10:18 AM, Guest Donald Pearson said:

I am one of the board members and the decision to remove the topic from the agenda is that we, the board, don't have enough information to conduct a discussion of the issue. 

Thank you for the additional information.  However, if this is for an upcoming general membership meeting, the board would normally have no business deciding whether the general membership has enough information to consider something.  It is one thing for the board to pull something from its own agenda, but quite another thing to in essence "forbid" the membership from considering it at a membership meeting..... annual, regular, or special.   Unless some rule or law gives the board control over the agenda or what can be considered at an annual membership meeting, it simply has no such authority.  Is there something in your rules or state law that gives your board that authority? 

Note:  We probably need more information, as the original poster provided very little information. For example, we don't know how the "item" came to be on the agenda and on a ballot in the first place or what your rules are for getting things on the agenda and on a ballot.

[Rob Elsman]

In most ordinary societies, the executive board would make its annual report (with or without recommendations), and would have nothing else whatsoever to say about the proceedings of the annual general membership meeting.

I am suspicious that this board is usurping the rights and privileges that actually belong to the general membership, a serious offense that can leave the board members exposed to disciplinary actions.

[Joshua Katz]

On 3/23/2023 at 8:18 AM, Guest Donald Pearson said:

I am one of the board members and the decision to remove the topic from the agenda is that we, the board, don't have enough information to conduct a discussion of the issue. 

Thankfully, at a membership meeting, the board need not conduct a discussion. It isn't even present as a board.

[Guest Donald Pearson]

I greatly appreciate all the information. From what I understand at this point, the board members are only members at the AGM. The meeting is not a board responsibility. Our AGM is really organized by the execurive director who asks for the board president and treasurer for reports that are presented to the members. Could someone direct me to information in RRO regarding AGM's, if there is any. Thank you.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 3/23/2023 at 11:18 AM, Guest Donald Pearson said:

I am one of the board members and the decision to remove the topic from the agenda is that we, the board, don't have enough information to conduct a discussion of the issue. 

I was under the impression that you were removing it from the agenda of the Membership Meeting.  Under what rule do you believe you can do that?  If the membership decides that it does not have enough information, it may take steps to refer or postpone the question, but the board can't command them not to consider it, absent some atypical provisions in the bylaws.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 3/23/2023 at 9:49 PM, Guest Donald Pearson said:

I greatly appreciate all the information. From what I understand at this point, the board members are only members at the AGM. The meeting is not a board responsibility. Our AGM is really organized by the execurive director who asks for the board president and treasurer for reports that are presented to the members. Could someone direct me to information in RRO regarding AGM's, if there is any. Thank you.

annual meeting, 9:20–23, 56:35, 56:63

adjourned meeting of, 9:23, 14:12
bylaw amendments at, 56:52
committees and, 50:29
elections at, 9:22, 56:35, 56:62–63
minutes of, 9:22
postponement beyond, limits on, 14:6
reports (see annual reports)
subjects set by bylaws for, 9:23, 14:12, 41:20

annual reports, 9:22, 41:13

boards, 51:3, 51:20
officers, 48:18, 48:27
standing committees, 50:29, 51:3
treasurer, 48:21

[RONR 12th edition, Index]