Council Meeting Minutes

WHEN ARE OWNERS EXPECTED TO GET COPIES OF STRATA COUNCIL MINUTES?

Council meeting minutes are one of the primary ways that Councils communicate with Owners. They provide a record of decisions made by Council and help Owners stay informed about the management of their community.

The Strata Property Act (SPA) does not establish a specific timeline for providing council meeting minutes to owners. Instead, it leaves that decision to the bylaws of the strata corporation.

This flexibility allows Stratas to adopt timelines that reflect the needs of their particular community while balancing the importance of transparency with the practical realities of volunteer governance.

WHO DECIDES WHEN MINUTES ARE DISTRIBUTED?

Unlike some aspects of strata governance that are specifically prescribed by the Strata Property Act, the timing for distributing council meeting minutes is generally determined by the Strata's bylaws.

Different Stratas may have different timelines. Some may require that minutes be provided quickly after a meeting, while others may establish a longer timeframe to accommodate larger or more complex communities.

When deciding the timeline for the distribution of Council meeting minutes, Stratas should consider several factors:

• Keeping owners reasonably informed about council decisions;

• The workload placed on volunteer council members;

• The complexity and frequency of council meetings;

• The size of the strata corporation; and

• Administrative resources available to prepare and distribute minutes.

An effective bylaw should strike a balance between providing timely information to owners and creating a process that is practical for council to administer.

WHEN ARE MINUTES DISTRIBUTED?

The Standard Bylaws require council to inform owners of the minutes of all council meetings within two weeks of the meeting, whether or not the minutes have been formally approved.

The Morley Hanson Model Bylaws require that Owners receive the minutes within fourteen (14) days of the meeting. They also require that written minutes be prepared for every council meeting and that they include the wording of all resolutions and the results of all votes.

Some Stratas may determine that a shorter timeframe better serves their community, particularly if communication is a priority or meetings are relatively straightforward. Others may prefer a longer period if council meetings are lengthy or administrative resources are limited.

Regardless of the timeline selected, consistency and clear communication are essential.

WHY ARE MINUTES DISTRIBUTED BEFORE APPROVAL?

Owners are often surprised to learn that council meeting minutes may be distributed before they are formally approved by council.

The reason is simple: owners benefit from receiving timely information about council activities rather than waiting until the next meeting for formal approval.

Minor corrections can be made when the minutes are approved at a subsequent meeting, while owners remain informed about important decisions and ongoing projects.

It is also important to remember that the purpose of council meeting minutes is to record decisions and actions taken by council. They are not intended to be a verbatim transcript of every discussion that occurred during the meeting.

STRATA CORPORATIONS DECIDE WHEN TO DISTRIBUTE COUNCIL MINUTES BASED ON BALANCING TIMELINESS WITH ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES

There is no single timeline established by the Strata Property Act for providing council meeting minutes to owners. Instead, strata corporations have the flexibility to establish requirements through their bylaws that reflect the needs of their community.

Whether a Strata chooses a shorter or longer timeframe, the objective should be the same: to provide owners with meaningful information while ensuring that the process remains practical and manageable for the volunteer council members responsible for preparing and distributing the minutes. This is a key characteristic of a robust and resilient Strata Community.