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Using Robert's Rules of Order how do you handle the homeowner forum, public comment time of the meeting? I want to make sure it is accordance with the rules and our expectations.

Hi Susan, Great question!  Much depends on your agenda and how strictly your Board/Council holds to Robert's Rules,  as we've seen it vary wildly between organizations and also by topic; some issues require more debate in a much wider public setting. If your Board has fully-embraced the Rules, your members will already have an established 10-minute time limit when speaking. Although many Associations find this to be too long and opt to reduce it to 5 minutes. Either way, once a speaker goes on past the limit, the chair must stop them, or another member may raise a Point of Order. Owners may not be as used to being "on the clock" and may need more coaching until the process takes root in your community. This is especially true of new communities or after a large change in the composition of the Board or transition away from the developer. 

As for the public comment portion of the meeting, the key is to remember that while these meetings are held in full view of the community (and often the public) they are still meetings of the organization and should be conducted in an orderly fashion. This helps to avoid a loss of confidence in the Board or worse, meetings that devolve into chaos, foster bad behavior, produce little to no result and exacerbate any Owner/Resident frustrations. This part of the meeting should allow Owners to share their insights and input with the Board but the Board still has the fiduciary duty to make the tough decisions. 

We suggest setting some basic ground rules and having a printed one-page notice available for distribution to the gallery so everyone knows what to expect. This is especially helpful at annual or highly attended meetings. The President/chair may opt to quickly review these guidelines prior to opening the floor for comment and take a slightly softer approach when implementing the language that goes along with Robert's Rules. 

Before the meeting: 
* Set a limited overall time period in your agenda for public comment (e.g, 30-45 minutes). 
* Council may always vote to extend the total comment time if "hot topics" are discussed or if time permits.
* Set a fixed time length for each speaker (2-3 minutes should do) Be consistent when enforcing it!
* Set limits on the topics that may be discussed, the number of times individuals may speak and who/how to handle any breakdowns in decorum. Note: all limits must be viewpoint-neutral and avoid taking sides on any issue or topic.

We highly recommend setting these times and remaining consistent at each meeting and between (monthly, quarterly, etc) meetings so that your Board develops a suitable routine that fits with the overall style of the organization and community. Brief all members on their conduct and any expectations with how to handle any bad behavior from Owners. (Three warnings, no back & forth, neutral expressions only, etc.) 

During the meeting: 
* Review the process & guidelines at each meeting. Explain that meetings are the time for each Owner/Resident to freely address the Board and inform members on their efforts, opinions, and ideas. 
* Speakers may address the Board collectively but should only be addressed by the Chair.
* Board members should not engage in a "back-and-forth" with the speakers. 
* Note that one speaker may not yield the balance of their time to another.
* The Chair should use the speaker's last name and always thank them for their input when finished.
* Members should take notes and jot down any questions received so the Board can reaeach and answer. You can provide responses privately in writing, openly at the next meeting or include them in any published meeting minutes.

I hope this gave you something you can use but if you need more, feel free to reach out to me directly.