Community Insider Winter 2020 | Page 28

worn . Your association does not have the funds to hire supervisors . As such , reopening gyms and the pool would be too costly and would not be in the best interests of the association as a whole .
What should you do ? You must do what is in the best interest of the membership as a whole . In this scenario , you , together with the board , should perform a reasonable inquiry into the ordinances that apply to your association ’ s operations , by potentially involving legal counsel , and determine whether reopening the pool and gyms is a financially viable option . In this scenario , it probably is not . You should not push for action that would make only those individuals that voted for you happy if , as a result , it disadvantages the membership as a whole . The right thing to do is not always the action that will make the membership happy .

ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Obviously , you should not limit the actions you take as a board member to those items listed on your candidacy statement agenda . Multiple issues , often controversial ones , arise when an individual is serving on a board . These issues sometimes cause debates internally within the board and sometimes cloud the board ’ s understanding of what the membership wants . For issues that directly affect the membership , including , among other things , pool and gym reopening measures or insurance issues , the board should make an effort to understand the memberships ’ general view and opinion on a particular issue in question .
Scenario : You are serving on the board . Your association ’ s earthquake insurance coverage is about to run , and the board is debating whether or not to renew given that the premium has increased by 20 %. By law , an association is not required to carry earthquake insurance . So , the board should just make a determination and discontinue earthquake insurance based on their own opinions on the matter , right ? Definitely not .
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