Page 14 - CooperatorNews NY March 2021

14 COOPERATORNEWS — MARCH 2021 COOPERATORNEWS.COM FOR 50 YEARS , OUR DEDICATION TO SERVICE HAS BEEN AUTOMATIC 1-800-THE-WASH AUTOMATICINDUSTRIES.COM The positive difference that only people can make ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SERVICES: - Structural - MEP - Interior Design BUILDING ENVELOPE / RESTORATION / FACADE INSPECTION SAFETY PROGRAMS CONSTRUCTION DEFECT TESTING / INVESTIGATION ENERGY CONSULTING FORENSIC TESTING / LITIGATION SUPPORT NYC SPECIAL INSPECTIONS 5 YEAR CAPITAL PLANNING 350 7th Avenue, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10001 (646) 292 - 3515 info@falconengineering.com www.falconengineering.com ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS AND ENERGY CONSULTANTS to change residents’ view of serving their community is to get them involved with a committee fi rst. It’s a good way of getting their feet wet for board service. “We have gotten people to step through committee work,” Ray says. “We identify them, ask them to serve on a committee, then pur- sue them for board service aft erward. Th is requires outreach. No one says, ‘I want to run for the board,’ but they do say, ‘I want to do something’ —so we suggest they do a committee fi rst, then we reach out about board service.” Th e next hurdle is getting those who do volunteer to serve to step up again as offi - cers of the corporation or association. “We need to defi ne the board chair role better,” says Ray. “We need to fi nd a way to make that role more manageable. Good outreach and communication are very important. At our last shareholders meeting, which was on Zoom and well attended, we asked for commit- tee volunteers and three new people volunteered.” According to Roberta, “We’ve had enough people volunteer over the years to keep the board full without begging people to serve—but it’s dif- fi cult to get board members to agree to serve as offi cers. We’ve had just two presi- dents in 20 years. I’ve served several times with breaks as treasurer. Board members are concerned about a number of things if they become offi cers. Besides more time required, they are worried about potential liability—which they don’t have, because we have insurance for that—and also that they will be the subject of anger from residents who don’t agree with their deci- sions.” Term Limits As is the case in any elected position in a democratic setting, the question of how long any one individual should serve is a consideration. Two presidents in 20 years could be considered problematic from nu- merous perspectives. Should co-ops and condos have term limits for board service? Should board service be compulsory for all residents to provide a ready pool of avail- able new blood for the board? “Th ere should be term limits, because you want new blood—that’s my personal belief,” says Ray. “You want to have peo- ple with history on the board, but you also want new people. You want some diversity to represent the building over- all: old, young, families with children, single people, etc. We happen to have a very functional building, so it’s not a big problem. Th ere are several active commit- tees, and those people can graduate to the board. Sometimes people step down from the board aft er some years of service, but still remain active on committees. Alter- natively, I don’t feel board service should be compulsory. Like any organization, you want people to feel invested and get in- volved.” Roberta points out that term limits can become problematic. “What if no one steps up to take the vacancy?” she asks. “Th at’s why I have served as treasurer for non-consecutive terms. If no one else was willing to do it, I felt I had to make the commitment.” As concerns compulsory service, she doesn’t believe that’s a good idea either. “You can’t force people to serve on the board,” she says. “Th ey have to want to do it.” Another consideration is whether compulsory board service would turn off potential buyers. If your community re- quired every owner to serve on the board at some point in their time with the com- munity and no other neighboring commu- nity did the same, it might become a consideration for potential buyers, who might balk at the requirement and look for a unit elsewhere. Also, what would the community do if a resident had agreed to serve for a year or two, but sold their unit before serving? Would there be a penalty of some kind? Th e enforcement aspect of such a requirement might be problematic. Service in the Time of COVID One outgrowth of the COVID-19 pan- demic has been the shift of both board meetings and general meetings to online meeting platforms like Zoom, as reported by managers, owners, and board members around the country. Th e shift is likely to be permanent and is apt to make board and committee service at co-op and condo communities more manageable for those who volunteer, and more realistic for those thinking about volunteering. Zoom meet- ings can be held at any time, from any- where, eliminating many of the concerns (and excuses) owners have about being in a specifi c place at a specifi c time to serve. In the fi nal analysis, board service is a commitment that every qualifi ed resident of a co-op or condo should make at least once. Th e time you put in will ultimately benefi t you in many ways—ways that might not be apparent at fi rst, and ways that you might not expect. In the end, the good you do will come back to you. Com- mit to your community, and take an active role in making it the best it can be. ■ Cooper Smith is a staff writer for Coopera- torNews. “You can’t force people to serve on the board. Th ey have to want to do it.” —Roberta, a Boston resident OVERCOMING... continued from page 13