Condo Board Not Sticking to Agenda or Rules of Order

D.C. from Texas writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

Does a condominium association in Texas have to follow an A-Z or 1-10 process in running the meeting? Or is it okay to run the meeting any way felt best after the meeting is called to order and last month’s minutes are read? Some people think it has to be strict step by step, no altering, all the way to closing the meeting; and, some say as long as the meeting is called to order and there is quorum and the last meetings minutes were read, it’s up to the board to cover the topics required in any order they feel is fit since sometimes there is little or nothing in some areas of the meeting to discuss, like landscaping, or external lighting.

Mister Condo replies:

D.C., when you say “A-Z or 1-10 process in running the meeting”, I assume you are referring to Robert Rules of Orders and a published agenda for the meeting. Most association can dispense with the formality of Roberts Rules with a simple vote of the meeting attendees. The whole point of having meeting agendas is to assist in the order of business and to make sure important topics aren’t missed. Every association is different and the nature of having volunteer Board Members can make controlling the meeting difficult. The agenda gets rid of that problem and keep the meeting on track. My personal experience with Boards that don’t stick to an agenda is that their meetings tend to run long and they don’t always get as much accomplished as they might had they stuck to the written agenda. I am not an attorney nor an expert in Texas law so if you need a legal opinion, kindly seek out someone who can provide it. My friendly advice is to dispense with Roberts Rules of Order unless needed and stick to the published agenda. You’ll get more done and keep the meeting to a reasonable length. Good luck!