Agenda

A list of topics or items to be discussed and acted upon at a board or member meeting, distributed in advance to provide transparency and structure. The agenda serves as a roadmap for the meeting, helping ensure important matters are addressed, discussions stay focused, and homeowners know what business will be conducted. A typical board meeting agenda includes call to order and establishment of quorum, approval of prior meeting minutes, financial report, management report, committee reports, old business (unfinished items from prior meetings), new business, homeowner open forum, and adjournment. In California, the Davis-Stirling Act (Civil Code Section 4920) requires that the agenda for board meetings be posted at least four days in advance in a location accessible to all members, such as a community bulletin board or the association's website. Critically, the board may not take action on items not listed on the posted agenda except in the case of an emergency. This rule ensures that homeowners who choose not to attend — relying on the posted agenda — are not affected by surprise decisions. For member meetings (annual or special), the agenda and accompanying materials must be included in the meeting notice, which has its own timing requirements. The board president or meeting chair typically sets the agenda, sometimes in consultation with the management company. Distributing the agenda with supporting materials (financial reports, bids, draft policies) in advance allows directors and homeowners to prepare, leading to more productive meetings.