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Community Association Education
We’re Having What Kind of Meeting?
A straightforward guide to annual meetings, board meetings, special meetings, town halls, and executive sessions.
If you have ever wondered why one association meeting includes an election while another is limited to a single topic, you are not alone. Community associations hold several types of meetings, and each serves a different purpose.
The meeting notice and agenda should tell you what kind of meeting is being held, what will be discussed, and whether homeowner participation is scheduled. Here is what the most common meeting names generally mean.
Watch: Understanding Community Association Meetings
Prefer to watch instead of read? This short video provides an overview of the different types of meetings you may encounter in an HOA or condominium association.
Having trouble viewing the video above?
Watch the Video on YouTube →Annual Membership Meeting
Usually the association’s primary membership meeting of the year. Depending on the governing documents, homeowners may elect directors, receive reports, review association priorities, and hear financial or budget-related information. The governing documents typically establish when the meeting occurs and how notice must be provided.
Regular Board Meeting
This is where the board conducts most association business. Directors may review financial reports, consider contracts, discuss maintenance and operations, establish policy, and vote on matters properly placed before the board. Homeowners are often invited to observe, with any comment period conducted according to the agenda and applicable requirements.
Special Meeting
A special meeting is called outside the regular meeting schedule to address a specific matter. The notice should identify the meeting’s purpose—such as a major project, contract, special assessment, or other time-sensitive issue—and discussion is generally limited to the announced topic.
Town Hall or Community Forum
A town hall is generally an informal, informational gathering designed for two-way communication. The board may explain a proposed project, gather homeowner feedback, answer questions, or clarify a decision. Unless it is also properly noticed as a formal meeting, official association action is generally not the purpose of the gathering.
What Is an Executive Session?
An executive session is a closed portion of a board meeting used only for matters that may legally or properly be discussed privately. Examples may include legal advice, personnel matters, contract negotiations, owner account issues, violations, or other confidential subjects permitted by applicable law.
Executive-session procedures—including what may be discussed privately and when a vote must occur in open session—depend on the association’s jurisdiction, governing documents, and the specific issue involved.
Can Homeowners Speak at Every Meeting?
Attendance and participation are not always the same thing. Homeowners may have the right to attend or observe many association meetings, but that does not necessarily mean they may participate throughout the board’s discussion. Depending on applicable law and association procedure, homeowner comments may be limited to a designated open-forum portion of the agenda.
For an orderly and productive meeting, review the notice and agenda in advance. If the association requests that questions be submitted beforehand, follow those instructions so the board can prepare an accurate response.
Quick Meeting Checklist
- Read the meeting notice and agenda before attending.
- Confirm whether the meeting is for the board, the full membership, or both.
- Check whether homeowner comments are scheduled and whether advance questions are requested.
- Keep comments brief, respectful, and relevant to the agenda.
- Remember that executive-session details may need to remain confidential.
The Bottom Line
The meeting name tells you a great deal about its purpose. Annual meetings focus on the membership and major yearly business; regular board meetings handle ongoing association operations; special meetings address a defined issue; town halls encourage conversation; and executive sessions protect appropriately confidential discussions.
When everyone understands the meeting format beforehand, conversations are more productive and community business moves forward more efficiently.
