Open Board Meetings

Sec. 209.0051. OPEN BOARD MEETINGS. (a) This section does not apply to a property owners' association that is subject to Chapter 551 , Government Code, by application of Section 551.0015 , Government Code. (b) In this section, "board meeting": (1) means a deliberation between a quorum of the voting board of the property owners' association, or between a quorum of the voting board and another person, during which property owners' association business is considered and the board takes formal action; and (2) does not include the gathering of a quorum of the board at a social function unrelated to the business of the association or the attendance by a quorum of the board at a regional, state, or national convention, ceremonial event, or press conference, if formal action is not taken and any discussion of association business is incidental to the social function, convention, ceremonial event, or press conference. (c) Regular and special board meetings must be open to owners, subject to the right of the board to adjourn a board meeting and reconvene in closed executive session to consider actions involving personnel, pending or threatened litigation, contract negotiations, enforcement actions, confidential communications with the property owners' association's attorney, matters involving the invasion of privacy of individual owners, or matters that are to remain confidential by request of the affected parties and agreement of the board. Following an executive session, any decision made in the executive session must be summarized orally and placed in the minutes, in general terms, without breaching the privacy of individual owners, violating any privilege, or disclosing information that was to remain confidential at the request of the affected parties. The oral summary must include a general explanation of expenditures approved in executive session. (c-1) Except for a meeting held by electronic or telephonic means under Subsection (c-2), a board meeting must be held in a county in which all or part of the property in the subdivision is located or in a county adjacent to that county. (c-2) A board meeting may be held by electronic or telephonic means provided that: (1) each board member may hear and be heard by every other board member; (2) except for any portion of the meeting conducted in executive session: (A) all owners in attendance at the meeting may hear all board members; and (B) owners are allowed to listen using any electronic or telephonic communication method used or expected to be used by a board member to participate; and (3) the notice of the meeting includes instructions for owners to access any communication method required to be accessible under Subdivision (2)(B). (d) The board shall keep a record of each regular or special board meeting in the form of written minutes of the meeting. The board shall make meeting records, including approved minutes, available to a member for inspection and copying on the member's written request to the property owners' association's managing agent at the address appearing on the most recently filed management certificate or, if there …

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