Maryland CCRC regulations require a resident on the governing board. I live at Charlestown in Catonsville. We have two residents on the Board of Directors. They are full board members which means they do not report back to the residents on the discussions or activities of the board deliberations. The regulations also require access to Board minutes which means we see the APPROVED minutes. The minutes are available in the Admin office on request. The minutes follow Robert’s Rules of Order so actions are recorded but there is limited information about discussions. Since the Board acts on committee reports, there will be a reference to Board materials from the Committee without the details.
The Residents’s Council members meet with the board before the start of each quarterly board meeting. The Council members provide questions for the board and there is a discussion period. Residents do not observe board meetings. The state regulations also provide for a annual meeting with board members to review the goals and budget for the next fiscal year. They also detail the priorities of the board for the year.
The board chair and the chair of the board finance committee holds another resident meeting or Town Hall to explain the fee increase for the new fiscal year. They show slides detailing why an increase is needed (usually related to wages and benefit increases) and the planned capital projects. They also answer questions from the audience.
The board members take turns writing articles in the monthly newsletter. This has been happening for over 8 years. This came about because residents felt the board needed to comunicate more with residents.
We have a community educational program affiliated with the Road Scholar (Elderhostel). The two resident directors do a yearly program on the Board, committees, and how they function.
Ann MacKay
MaCCRA President