Meeting Overview and Attendance

This article covers the Meeting Overview screen in Meeting Hub. This screen only becomes accessible whilst a meeting has a status of ‘Notice Issued’, ‘Reconvened Meeting’ or ‘Meeting Adjourned’. 

For meeting with statuses of ‘Meeting In Progress’, ‘Meeting Held’ or ‘Minutes Issued’, the motion section shows the result of the motion and each can be open to the in-meeting management page.:

'Ballot Only' meetings will also present a 'Finalise Meeting' button once the voting window has closed. These will also allow users to set the committee members for the meeting.

Meeting Alerts

Various alerts in either yellow or red may be displayed at the top of the Meeting Overview screen to notify users to different pieces of important information, some of which may require the user's action. Click the text in the alert to review the details and take the required action.

Quorum

This is displayed for meetings with a status of ‘Meeting In Progress’, ‘Meeting Held’ or ‘Minutes Issued’ and shows the following information: Quorum Present, Quorum Reason, Quorum Statement and Quorum Required.

Template Groups (Minutes)

This section is used to display and select a minutes template. If no template exists, then you cannot generate the meeting minutes, and you will need to add a template using the blue Add button.
If you would like to replace an existing template, you will first need to delete the existing template by clicking the delete (rubbish bin) button, and then add a new template by using the blue Add button.

Details

In the 'Details' section on the right, you will see the Meeting Status, Date and Time, Location, etc. It also contains the Update Meeting Status button, which is used to change the Meeting Status. 

The Rollback To function available from Update Meeting Status will allow a meeting to be rolled back to a prior status. When rolling a meeting back, a message will appear warning the user of the results of this action.

In Meeting Details

This is displayed for meetings with a status of ‘Meeting In Progress’, ‘Meeting Held’ or ‘Minutes Issued’ and displays the details of the meeting that were collected whilst in the meeting.

Adjourned Meetings

When meetings have been reconvened, managers have the ability to view details of its previously adjourned meetings. Contains a list of all the adjourned meetings that are related to the current meeting. If Selected the Meeting Adjourned page is shown in focus.

VoteMax Settings

This section of the screen displays any existing VoteMax settings that were determined when the meeting was created and set up. Pre-Meeting Voting settings cannot be changed once the meeting status has reached 'Notice Issued'.

The Enable In Meeting Voting settings can be changed until the status of the meeting reaches 'Meeting In Progress', which will occur when you are in the meeting Commence screen, you have entered the quorum, and clicked the blue Proceed button.

Notice Attachments

Lists any attachments included with the meeting notice, which can be clicked to display them.

Minutes Attachments

Allows you to manage existing attachments with the minutes as well as add more.

Voting Register Button

An offline voting register is available, which will export meeting and voting data already loaded into Meeting Hub to an Excel sheet, which can be used to manage attendance, record votes and determine the outcome of motions. Instructions are available within the Voting Register and it is recommended that the Voting Register is downloaded prior to the meeting after the VoteMax voting window has closed as well as once the attendees have been recorded in Meeting Hub prior to the meeting commencing.

The Voting Register replaces the previously used Voting Tally function. Refer to the Offline Voting Register article for detailed instructions.

Commence/Resume Meeting Button

Click this button to start or resume the meeting and run through the in-meeting voting. See the In-Meeting Voting article for a guide on the process.

Adjourn Meeting Button

Click this button to adjourn the meeting. See the Meeting Adjournment article for a guide on the process.

Committee Election Button

Click the Committee Election button to view the Committee Election Details screen where you can delete Committee Nominations, or mark them as 'Elected Unopposed'.

Voting Simulation Button

If the VoteMax Status has been configured to 'Show Meeting and Enable Voting' then this button can be clicked to display a simulation of the VoteMax voting process that owners will see if they want to use VoteMax to cast and declare their votes.

Finalise Meeting Button

In a 'Ballot Only' meeting, such as a VOCM or Flying Meeting, the 'Finalise Meeting' button will be present once the voting window has closed for the meeting. After it has been clicked:

• The result of each motion is automatically calculated.
• A summary of the results is presented in the Meeting Overview screen. This summary also allows the outcome of a motion to be updated, including overruling the determined result.
• The meeting status will change to ‘Meeting Held’ and will move to the 'Recently Held' stage on the Meeting Hub main screen, where it can still be accessed for review.

Review Meeting Button

After a meeting has been finalised or closed, the 'Review Meeting' button will appear at the top of the screen. Clicking this provides the user the ability to review each of the motions, reopen the voting to submit the votes again if necessary, and close the meeting again.

Set Committee Members Button

In a 'Ballot Only' meeting, such as a VOCM or Flying Meeting, the 'Set Committee Members' button will be present where users can select the committee members that are present.

Attendance Register

Selecting the Attendance drop-down button allows a user to select from Add, Add Apology, Manage, and Download Sign-in Sheet. See each section below for details on each. Attendance records are created automatically when owners cast their votes online in VoteMax, and will have a voting method of 'VoteMax Pre-Meeting.'

This attendance register matrix explains how the attendance lists work on the v3.1 OTS minutes template. This should assist Strata Managers to see where an attendee would be placed on the attendance section of the minutes, based on the Capacity Type, Voting Method, and Attendance Method fields.

Adding an Attendee

Adding an attendee to a meeting can be done by selecting data that is displayed from StrataMax. Adding an attendee will allow Given and Surnames to be selected which ensures the attendees names merge onto Meeting Documentation as expected. 

1. Click the Attendance drop-down button and select Add.
2. Select from Office Bearer list if the attendee is an office bearer/committee member.
3. Select the Capacity Type.
   • If 'Company Nominee' is selected, then you must fill in the Company Name field.
   • If 'Other' is selected, you will need to type into the Reason Attending box. This will result in the Eligible to Vote box being not ticked, but can be ticked if required.
4. Enter the lot or unit number into one the fields; the StrataMax data will display in the Roll Details section for the lot/unit. If an attendee is unsure of their lot or unit number, use the Search Roll function to search by name. The Roll Details will display data from the Roll fields including Owner, Entitled Person, Nominee, Other Person as well as data from Proxy Manager.
5. You can either type in the Given Name and Surname fields, or in the Roll Details section, click the appropriate part of the attendee's name to add it to the field.
   
   
   
6. Select the Voting Method.
   • Please note that selecting 'Non-Voting Attendee' will result in the attendee not being eligible to vote. However, this can be overridden by the user, with a valid reason.
     
     
     
     
   • Selecting 'Apology' will set the voting method to ‘Non-Voting Attendee’ and the attendance method to ‘Apology’.
7. Click on Save to add the attendee or Save & Add Votes if you want to add received votes. Refer to Add Votes below.
   • When adding an attendee, if a lot owner is attending for multiple lots and the lots are linked, click on + add all linked lots.
   • When adding an attendee if attending for multiple lots that are not linked, add multiple lot or unit numbers to these fields. If they have a different capacity for some lots, click on + add additional capacity so the correct capacity can be selected for each lot.

Add an Attendee Not Entitled to Vote

1. Select Attendance > Add.
2. Select the Capacity Type of Other.
3. Type in the Reason Attending.
4. Enter the Attendee's Given Name and Surname.
5. Select the Voting Method Non-Voting Member.
6. Click the Save button.

Record an Apology for Non-Attendance

1. Create an attendance record with an appropriate capacity or select an existing attendance record if already added.
2. Select the Voting Method Non-Voting Attendee.
3. Select the Attendance Method Apology.
4. Click the Save button.

Adding an Apology

1. If you're on the 'Meeting Overview' screen, click the Attendance drop-down button and select Add Apology. Or in the 'Attendance Register' screen, click the 'Add Apology' button.
2. In the 'Add Apology' screen, select from the Office Bearer list if the attendee is an office bearer/committee member.
3. Select the Capacity Type.
   • If 'Company Nominee' is selected, then you must fill in the Company Name field.
   • If 'Other' is selected, you will need to type into the Reason Attending box. This will result in the Eligible to Vote box being not ticked, but can be ticked if required.
4. Enter the lot or unit number into one the fields; the StrataMax data will display in the Roll Details section for the lot/unit. If an attendee is unsure of their lot or unit number, use the Search Roll function to search by name. The Roll Details will display data from the Roll fields including Owner, Entitled Person, Nominee, Other Person as well as data from Proxy Manager.
5. You can either type in the Given Name and Surname fields, or in the Roll Details section, click the appropriate part of the attendee's name to add it to the field.
   
   
   
   
6. Select the Voting Method.
   • You must select 'Voting Paper' in order to be able to add this attendee's votes.
7. The Attendance Method will be 'Apology'.
8. Click Save then Back to return to the 'Meeting Overview' or 'Attendance Register' screen.
   • You can also click Save & Add to add another apology.
   • Click Add Votes to add the attendee's votes.

Managing Attendees

Manage Attendees displays who has been recorded in attendance including lots that have voted using VoteMax. 

Attendee Alerts

Hover the mouse cursor over the explanation mark to view the alert. The alerts include where lots are not considered financial therefore maybe ineligible to vote, and if multiple attendees have been added for a single lot.

Adding Votes

Click on the + icon for the lot to add votes received prior to the meeting. Click on the appropriate button for each motion alternatively keyboard shortcuts can be used to enter votes more efficiently, use 'Y', 'N' or 'A'; when a keyboard shortcut is used the next motion is automatically selected and identified by the > next to the motion number. The up/down arrow keys may also be used to move between motions.

When entering votes for a Motion With Alternatives or Vote On Options Only, where the voter has voted Yes; only the Alternative or Options will need to be set as Yes.

In a Group of Same-Issue Motion you will need to select all buttons; Yes, No, or Abstain.

Any votes that are not marked as Yes, No or Abstain will be recorded as an Abstain.

If a Committee Election has been made visible in VoteMax for pre-meeting votes, then you will need to select the Committee Election tab and record the committee election votes for the attendee before you can click Save.

Viewing Votes

Click on the icon in the View Vote column to view an attendees votes. If the icon does not appear, this means no votes have been recorded.

Withdrawing Votes

Once votes have been entered by the owner through VoteMax or manually by the user, votes cannot be edited. However, they may be withdrawn and entered again.

To withdraw votes follow the below steps:

1. Select Manage Attendees.
2. For the required lot click on the icon to View Votes.
3. Select Withdraw Votes.
4. Enter the reason why the votes are being withdrawn and select Yes.

If the meeting is already in progress, then those existing votes can be withdrawn as well, but if the meeting hasn't been closed/ended, then it's still possible to edit the votes in each motion individually. If you still attempt to withdraw votes when meeting has already commenced, several warnings will appear in the Withdraw Votes screen, like this:

Reinstating Withdrawn Votes

Withdrawn votes may be reinstated only if they were originally cast via the voting method VoteMax Pre-Meeting. To reinstate withdrawn votes follow the below steps:

1. Select Manage Attendees.
2. Locate the attendee you want to reinstate votes for.
3. Click on the Reinstate Votes icon in the votes column.
4. Click Yes to confirm reinstating votes.

Financial in BCMax

The Financial in BCMax column will identify whether the data currently available in StrataMax suggests that the lot is financial. A lot is considered financial if there is no overdue amounts for the lot account. Sub-Group debts including Utility Billing are not included in the calculations. If the current data determines that the lot is financial, a 'Yes' will be displayed, and a 'No' if not. 

Financial

The Financial box is always ticked by default, but can be changed to determine whether or not the attendee is considered financial for voting purposes. This will be the case even if the Financial in BCMax column for this attendee displays a ‘No’.

If the Financial in BCMax column has a 'No' for an owner and the Financial box is ticked, an alert will be generated to prompt the meeting hub user to review the attendee’s financial position and, if appropriate, switch off the ‘Financial’ flag.

This will ensure that the attendees vote will be correctly included in the vote calculations for any motions which are legally required to include votes cast for unfinancial lots.

Eligible to Vote

The Eligible to Vote box is used to change lot's voting eligibility for any reason that is not related to their financial status (e.g. if an owner attends the meeting along with their co-owner and only one is eligible to vote, so the other can't be). This tick box affects the meeting quorum, which will change as soon as the screen is saved.

By default, the Eligible to Vote box is always ticked unless:

• The attendee has been added to the Attendance Register with a Voting Method of ‘Non-Voting Attendee’. In which case the box will not be displayed at all.
  or
• The box has been unticked by a user.
  or
• The attendee has been added to the Attendance Register with a Capacity of 'Other'. The tick will be removed from the box, but it's still visible so can be ticked by the user if required.

Edit Attendee Details

To edit attendee details, click on the pencil icon for the attendee, complete the changes and select Save.

Remove Attendee

To remove an attendee; click on the Trash Bin icon. If the attendee is marked as eligible to vote a message box will prompt for a reason to be selected and notes to be entered and then click on Proceed; . If the attendee is not marked as eligible; click on Yes to confirm removing them as an attendee.

The Quorum calculation will immediately change once saved.

Download Sign-in Sheet

A Sign-in sheet is able to be downloaded in the form of a Word document, which allows attendees to write their own details as they arrive at the meeting.