Owner-driven agenda
The problem
The Board sets the agenda. Owners react. By the time we hear about a decision, it has already been made — or is about to be made — with no real opportunity to shape it. We are an audience, not participants.
The reform
The agenda should reflect what owners care about, not just what the Board chooses to address. Florida Statute §718.112(2)(c) already gives us a tool: any 20% of owners can compel the Board to place an item on the next agenda. Fallsvoice proposes we use it — and make it the norm.
How it works
Under §718.112(2)(c), F.S., when 20% of unit owners sign a petition requesting that a specific item be placed on the agenda, the Board must include it. For The Falls of Inverrary, 20% of approximately 750 units is about 150 owners.
The reform is twofold:
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Use the existing right. Fallsvoice will help organize petitions when meaningful issues warrant them.
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Create a culture of responsiveness. The Board should not require a petition to address owner concerns. Establish a regular "Owner Concerns" agenda item at every Board meeting where matters raised by ten or more owners must be addressed.
What this looks like in practice
Today:
- An owner notices a problem (parking, maintenance, fee allocation)
- The owner sends an email to the Board
- The owner waits — often for months — with no response
- The issue never appears on any agenda
- Nothing changes
With this reform:
- An owner notices a problem
- Through Fallsvoice or directly, the owner finds others with similar concerns
- When 10+ owners agree, the issue goes on the next Board agenda automatically
- The Board addresses it publicly, with discussion and a clear outcome
- If the Board response is inadequate, the 20% petition process escalates the matter
The 10% and 50% thresholds
Florida law gives owners additional powers:
- 10% (75 owners) — Under §718.112(2)(j), can call a special meeting of all unit owners
- 20% (150 owners) — Under §718.112(2)(c), can require the Board to address an issue
- 50% + 1 (376 owners) — A majority of voting interests, capable of approving most material changes
These thresholds are not obstacles. They are tools. Fallsvoice helps owners use them.
Why this matters
When the agenda belongs to the Board alone, the Board becomes the community’s main stakeholder. When the agenda belongs to the owners, the Board returns to its proper role: serving the owners who elected them.
A community where any 150 owners can compel attention to an issue is a community where every owner’s concerns matter. Where 75 owners can call a meeting. Where a determined majority can change course.
That is what Florida law contemplates. That is what we will help happen.