I think board meetings should be open to owners. At least a question and answer session. For too long, our board has kept us in the dark. Even some directors don't know what the board is up to. They do not issue newsletters or hold special meetings of owners and we only have the opportunity once a year at the agm to ask questions. By then, the damage is done and owners have to go to court to make the board do things right. Open board meetings should be the law or at least the policy of the condo corp.

Donna

What about the privacy issue if you discuss about particular unit owner's matter at the open meeting ?
In our building, we have open meeting time to time but not all the time.


Do you know that any condominium owner can participate in any meeting (including board meeting)that the Property Manager participates in?

The property Manager is there to provide explanations and updates to the Board. I always found their input valuable because they know the provicial laws and the contractors.

However, I always double checked their advice through another source (statue, internet, library, contractors, etc.

Board meeting should be somewhat open to owners, minus the confidential stuff (owners in arrears,etc.)

Sierra,

I agree that unit Owners should be permitted to attend a Q & A period before or after each and every Board meeting. There are, of course, many issues which cannot and should not be discussed outside of the Board itself. CAFCOR is currently researching the issue of open Board meetings in states where such practices are legislated as in the State of California.

As for PM inclusion at Board meetings, I believe that the PM should be present in order to present its Report to the Board but should be excluded from the balance of Board meetings. As the Condominium Act, 1998 makes absolutely no reference to PMs in section 37, Directors should take the necessary time to aquaint themselves with their legislated responsibilities and fiduciary duties. In this manner, the dog wags the tail and not the other way around.

A PM, other than an independent PM who works directly for the Corporation and only the Corporation, will have loyalties divided between his/her profit oriented PMC employer and the Corporation whose sole interests the PMC was contracted to manage. It is the Board's duty to protect the interests of the Corporation through competent governance independent of any "for-profit" influence. After all, us unit Owners depend on the Board's competence and ability to make sound, independent decisions in our interests.

The operative phrase is "kept in the dark". That is where the problem is, not with closed board meetings. As long as the minutes are available in a timely manner, posted and made very accessible to owners, then there should no problems.

Here is what I have found, management controls the minutes which rarely accurately reflect the decisions or major concerns voiced at the meeting, especially of minority directors.

If the board wants to be transparent to the owners who form the corporation then communicate as much as possible with your members. Have information meetings, allow Q&A for 20 minutes at the beginning of the board meeting, ensure the President is presiding at all meeting including the AGM.

The board should not be an extension of management but an extension of the owners.

The following link has nothing to with the question but interesting to read..
http://www.thestar.com/article/209463

I agree - except for matters that are particular to a single owner/unit, Board meetings could be opened up. At least there should be an "Open Session" during every meeting (bascially a Q&A, but it allows for suggestions, and not just complaints, to be made.)