The responsibilities of community management include clear communication with home or condo owners. A community association management team is able to assist the Board in a homeowner’s or condo owner’s association with communication strategies. Here is more information about developing a strong communication plan:
Providing Communication Methods
Establishing communication methods between the Board and homeowners keeps homeowners informed on community events, assessment collection dates, and policies. Examples include digital communication such as emails and texts. A community association management team can communicate with homeowners on behalf of the HOA or COA, offering detailed notices.
Digital or physical newsletters act as a way to keep the community informed. They can provide related contact information, meeting dates, policy changes, and notifications for community events. This helps encourage homeowner attendance at festivals and meetings. Delegating newsletter creation to a committee helps save time.
Establish a system for informing homeowners about non-compliance. This can include emails or paper notifications that provide information about the violation. Offering a warning notification gives homeowners a chance to become compliant, preventing them from having to pay a fee.
Homeowners should also have a way to directly interact with the Board, such as an email address. An online portal provides a site to host community announcements and offer online forms to submit alteration requests and appeals. In-app notifications help homeowners stay up to date.
Holding Annual Meetings
Annual meetings offer a platform for communication between the Board and homeowners. Opening board and committee meetings for homeowner attendance allows members of the community to participate in the decision-making process. Options include in-person and virtual meetings. To encourage participation, inform homeowners of the meeting date and agenda ahead of time. Some association management companies offer resources for planning meetings, such as templates. After the meeting, the minutes should be approved and then distributed to homeowners.
During an annual meeting, the Board discusses activities from the last year, such as community events and maintenance projects. Reviewing achievements and challenges offers clarification to homeowners on what the association has been working on. Identifying challenges also makes it easier to create solutions for planning next year’s activities.
Annual meetings allow homeowners to voice questions and concerns, promoting better communication between homeowners and Board members. Community members can provide suggestions for the community or solutions to problems, offering them an active role in community governance. Homeowners are also able to nominate and vote for Board member candidates, and the attendance of a minimum number of homeowners is required before voting can commence. Having an active role in selecting representatives and modifying the community documents to fit community needs helps promote homeowner compliance.
Prioritizing Transparent Decision-Making
Transparent decision-making helps establish trust between the homeowners and the Board and prevents possible misunderstandings. The Board should clarify its policies and decisions when responding to complaints, to promote understanding. Offering clear information on the reasoning behind governance decisions helps with community compliance. Explaining the reasons behind assessment collection and amount can result in assessments being paid on time.
Offer accountability by allowing community members to review financial statements. This shows homeowners how community resources are managed. During an annual meeting, community members are able to see the budget and the reserve fund status. Depending on community requirements, homeowners ratify the budget for the new year. An accounting team from an association management company will assist the Board by providing clear record-keeping and budget design.
Learn About Community Association Management
Creating a clear communication plan helps promote cooperation between homeowners and the Board. An association management team can offer full management or on-demand services, depending on the level of help that a community needs. To learn more about developing a communication plan, find a community association management team today.
