HOA Consent Agenda: How to Use One (With a Sample)
Quick answer: A consent agenda groups routine, non-controversial items, such as approving last meeting's minutes or accepting the monthly financial report, so the board can approve them all with one motion and one vote. Any director can ask to pull an item off for separate discussion, and that request should be honored automatically. Keep anything that needs debate off the consent agenda: the budget, assessments, fines, large contracts and anything owners have asked to comment on. The minutes should list every item approved by consent.
A consent agenda is one of the easiest ways to shorten an HOA board meeting without cutting corners. Here is how to set one up, what belongs on it, and how to record it.
How a consent agenda works
- The secretary or president lists routine items together near the start of the agenda, under a heading like Consent Agenda.
- Directors get the materials in advance in the board packet, so they can read them before the meeting.
- At the meeting, the chair asks whether anyone wants an item removed. Any director can pull an item; it then goes to the regular agenda for discussion and its own vote.
- The board approves the remaining items with a single motion, second and vote.
Check your bylaws and any adopted rules of order before you start. Many boards use Robert's Rules; see our guide to Robert's Rules of Order for HOA meetings.
What belongs on the consent agenda
| Good consent items | Keep off the consent agenda |
|---|---|
| Approving minutes of the prior meeting (with no corrections) | Adopting the budget or changing assessments |
| Accepting the monthly financial report and bank reconciliations | Fines, violation hearings and collection decisions about a specific owner |
| Ratifying routine vendor renewals at the same terms | New contracts, bids or anything with a significant cost change |
| Committee reports for information | Rule changes and policy adoption |
| Routine correspondence for the record | Anything an owner has asked to speak on, or anything controversial |
A useful test: if any director might reasonably want to ask a question or vote no, it doesn't belong on consent.
Minutes with corrections should come off consent and be approved separately as corrected. Our guide on how to approve HOA meeting minutes walks through it.
Sample consent agenda
Consent Agenda (one motion)
- Approve minutes of the October board meeting
- Accept the October financial statements and bank reconciliations
- Ratify renewal of the landscaping contract at current terms
- Receive the architectural committee report
Put it right after call to order and owner comments, so the board can move to the real business. Our HOA meeting agenda guide shows where it fits in a full agenda.
Open-meeting cautions
A consent agenda doesn't change open-meeting rules. Items still have to be acted on in an open meeting where required, and owners can see what was approved. In states with owner comment periods, such as Washington, owners can still comment before the board acts; see the 15-minute owner comment period. If a matter must be handled in executive session, it can't be bundled into an open consent vote.
How to record it in the minutes
The minutes should show:
- That a consent agenda was presented, and the full list of items on it.
- Any items removed, who asked, and where they were taken up.
- The single motion, who made and seconded it, and the vote.
Sample wording:
Consent agenda. Director Lee moved to approve the consent agenda consisting of items 1 through 4. Director Patel seconded. Item 3 was removed at the request of Director Gomez and considered under New Business. The remaining items were approved 5-0.
For more on recording votes, see how to record a motion and vote in HOA board minutes.
Why it helps the treasurer
Monthly financials are a perfect consent item, but only if directors trust them. Clean, reconciled reports in the packet make that possible. HOA Fiscal's bank reconciliation checklist helps, and boards that want the books handled for them can work with Dynamite Management.
FAQ
What is a consent agenda in an HOA board meeting? A group of routine items approved together with one motion and one vote, after directors have reviewed them in advance.
Can a director remove an item from the consent agenda? Yes. Any director can ask to pull an item, and it is then discussed and voted on separately.
Should the budget be on the consent agenda? No. Budgets, assessments, fines, new contracts and rule changes need discussion and their own votes.
How do you record a consent agenda in the minutes? List every item on it, note any items removed and where they were handled, and record the motion, second and vote.
Does a consent agenda get around open-meeting rules? No. Items still have to be acted on in an open meeting where required, and owners can see what was approved.
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