Category

Electronic Voting

Virtual Meetings Mean Real Business for Condo Corporations

“When the pandemic started, many owners were all nervous about conducting meetings virtually. Now they feel confident and happy, and that’s in huge part thanks to CondoVoter,” stated Fred Mucci, Regional Director, FirstService Residential after the conclusion of a recent virtual meeting.

Fred reckons he has chaired 20+ virtual meetings with CondoVoter providing hosting duties. “I have not had a bad experience. Anything we’ve asked of CondoVoter has been provided. The host is always friendly. The orientation sessions are helpful. CondoVoter staff walk participants through the steps including how to conduct a show of hands. Then the manager takes over control of the business meeting itself. Knowing the support is there takes the pressure off the chairperson.”

Condominium corporations conduct meetings with owners and residents as a regular part of the condominium’s operations. “In-person annual general meetings and special meetings have always been such an important aspect of condominium affairs,” adds Fred. “People gear up towards them and that’s great. But a virtual meeting allows the real business of a corporation to take place with fewer interruptions.”

Fred likes to emphasize the efficiency of virtual meetings.

“We can actually run a business meeting in one hour or less and achieve all the goals we set out. Advance voting also contributes to the meeting’s efficiency. We are reaching quorum almost every meeting. I think just one meeting did not reach quorum.”

With telephone voting included in CondoVoter’s services, there’s an added benefit that helps to reach quorum. “Telephone voting is ‘invisible’ because it’s conducted behind the scenes. We rely on CondoVoter for this function. I’m loving it.”

Most of the properties that Fred supervises are townhomes. A small number of owners have been reluctant to attend saying it doesn’t feel like a meeting. “There’s no opportunity for chit chat,” he laughs. “But there’s less anxiety for others. Plus, due to the technology aspect of virtual meetings, the actual meeting becomes the centre of attention and less emphasis on the social function.”

He concedes the elderly demographic still miss the social aspect of meetings and always will. “After this is over and we are back to normal, we have one property that will go back to in-person meetings and that’s OK.”

Fred and his team have had some discussion about meetings going forward and definitely want to continue with virtual meetings “with one annual ‘Town Hall-style’ in-person meeting when it’s allowed, just so people can still meet together. It’s a bee in my bonnet.”

Virtual Meetings: One Year Later

“It’s the easiest format ever,” says Anne Beauchesne, OLCM and a property manager with Sanderson Management Inc., in Waterloo, Ontario, where she manages eight corporations. “Virtual meetings are better than in-person and, for a busy property manager, much faster.”

It’s one year since the coronavirus pandemic changed all our lives. It’s also one year since virtual meetings became the new normal for conducting board meetings and AGMs in the condominium sector. Due to government-imposed restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19, in-person meetings were effectively cancelled as property managers and their boards scrambled to find new ways to hold meetings for their condominium corporations.

“We had been looking at various platforms to host virtual meetings,” Anne explained. “CondoVoter was attractive to our budget.” Now, close to one year later and a smooth uptake Anne adds, “The team is fabulous and everyone there knows about meetings.”

“The team is fabulous and everyone there knows about meetings.”

As with anything new, there were some minor challenges especially with senior residents with no computers or email and little technical knowledge. But Anne says now many elderly residents are getting their kids and grandkids to help out so they are able to vote and attend the meeting virtually. In fact, Anne knows of 3-4 owners who are within their selective “bubble” and who virtually attend their corporation’s meetings and watch the proceedings on TV, rotating meetings from one condo to the other.

CondoVoter has been able to accommodate some unique needs for Anne and the condo corporations she manages. Things like last minute changes to dates, and switching over hosting duties to management to continue after the AGM or board meeting has concluded are just two ways CondoVoter has met Anne’s meeting needs. Anne appreciates the changes CondoVoter made to phone voting that now allow callers to take part in meetings and not just listen. “I’m very happy. I’m never going back to in-person,” laughs Anne.

Anne appreciates the changes CondoVoter made to phone voting that now allow callers to take part in meetings and not just listen.

Anne has one board that definitely won’t go back to in-person either. She says “I’m perfectly ok with that.” But she adds you have to know your properties and buildings. Each has different needs and demographics.

Anne has been pleased with the overall benefits of hosted virtual meetings. As a manager who chairs these meetings she adds “Virtual meetings are much easier for managers and guests such as auditors. There is no travel so it saves a significant amount of my time. From home I can log in and get information to the board meeting in real time. I can actually be better prepared.”

Personalized Presentations for Condo Management

CondoVoter and Lash Condo Law are teaming up to provide personalized virtual presentations for condominium management companies. It’s a one-hour virtual meeting that offers an overview of the virtual meeting and e-voting ‘new normal’ and the real-life benefits for condominium corporations.

For her part, Denise Lash discusses the difference between advance voting and proxies. Adam Arcuri continues with an overview of CondoVoter’s platform including its new features that provide greater access and efficiencies. You’ll also be introduced to the Partner Discounts Program.

In-depth topics will include:

  • quorum (how e-voting helps achieve this)
  • meeting attendance (did you know a proxy holder must be in attendance; advance voters are not required to be in attendance!)

Other important questions will be answered: Can I change my advance vote? How many steps are involved? Will it be easy for elderly residents? How do I register? What if some residents don’t have a computer or email?

CondoVoter platform … and more

CondoVoter is all about simplifying and streamlining the owners’ meeting experience … and increasing owner participation to achieve quorum. Adam will explain the benefits of an online owner’s portal, why integrated candidate profiles are useful, how ballots can be customized and how real-time voting updates are accomplished.

These are just some of the topics that will be covered. As condominium managers, you’ll walk away with a better knowledge to advise your boards. You’ll feel confident recommending new, highly efficient processes to your board and …  knowing that your virtual meetings can come off without a hitch.

Denise Lash is principal Lash Condo Law.
Adam Arcuri is president, CondoVoter.

To request a virtual presentation for your condo management team, contact info@condovoter.com

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