Club Business

As we approach the election, I have been asked about my stated position on Open versus Closed Board Meetings. As mentioned in my application, I am concerned about multiple changes in our governance practices since 2015. These include; moving from Open to Closed Meetings, implementing a Code of Conduct which includes a confidentiality clause interpreted as restricting our Directors ability to discuss what happens in Board meetings, strictly controlled "Informational" sessions where questions must be submitted in advance, and the change by the Nominating Committee to a fixed slate of candidates. I believe these changes have a cumulative effect of reducing transparency and trust, especially when coupled with significant financial challenges.

Rather than get into a long explanation about what an Open Board meeting looks like, I have attached an agenda and announcement from an actual HPCCA Board meeting on March 17, 2014, the second year of my Board term. Note the agenda items discussed in Open Session versus the Executive Session. I have also attached an article by Josh Hurst titled "The Difference Between Closed and Open HOA Meetings and Why it Matters". As the article indicates and consistent with our previous practice, Closed executive sessions are designed to protect the individual privacy of Members, not as a method to circumvent them., It's easy to make decisions behind closed doors. Building trust and consensus is hard work but one of the most important functions of a strategic Board.