Annual Meeting
The next annual meeting for FPHA will be Monday, December 4, 2023 at 7:30 PM.
Meeting place is Fairmont Park Church, 10401 Belfast Road, LA PORTE, TX 77571 in the Worship Center
Our FPHA, Inc. Corporate Charter and By-Laws calls for an Annual Meeting of the Association Membership to be held on the first Monday in December of each year.
The primary purpose of the meeting is to elect Directors to the FPHA Board of Directors. The number of Board Directors is 7. There are currently 1 vacancies and 1 incumbent that will be decided at the annual meeting. Anyone either elected or appointed will serve a 3 year terms. . The term of a Director is three years and the terms are staggered so that each year we have an election to fill two positions. There is also a proposed by-law change affecting the requirement for a 10% quorum to hold an election for board members. (See below.) This only applies to the election of board members and no other business.
Election of Board Members
The Board Nominating Committee traditionally nominates three candidates, now two, that they determine will uphold the purpose and traditions of the FPHA, however, that notwithstanding, any member can run for an open board position.
State law, effective January 01, 2012 mandated that anyone who is a member of the Association (lot owner of record) may contest for a board position. This includes members who have not complied with deed restrictions and members who have not paid or are not current on the payment of mandated FPHA maintenance fees. The only members not permitted to take office, if elected, are those convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude.
In order for our members to make an informed choice of candidates, on the ballot, candidates who currently hold a Directors Position and have properly filed for re-election, will be identified as "incumbents" (I).
Duties of a Director
The main duty of a Board Member is to oversee deed restriction and maintenance guidance enforcement. A Board Director position is an unpaid position.
Deed Restriction enforcement is not an option. Board Members are often put in a position of having to ask their neighbors to comply. If a dispute results, (an infrequent occurrence) and it can’t be resolved at a FPHA meeting, it is usually resolved in the Harris County Court System which is set up to settle disputes. In Court, a Board Member may be asked to testify in a trial or hearing against another Association Member.
A Board Member also has a fiduciary responsibility to its members with respect to Association funds. .
Sound money management is crucial for the long- term survival of the FPHA. Because our fees have been fixed for six decades much of our operating revenues come from services and investments
A Board Member must be willing to attend eleven monthly meetings, usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours in length, and the Annual Meeting, and other special meetings and workshops as necessary to conduct Association Business. .
Most Board Members serve on one or more committees. Example, By-Laws, Finance/Budget and/or Nominating Committees.
Although not a requirement, it is helpful if the Board Member has the ability to communicate via email with an internet connection as well as telephone.
There will be a link to the filing form posted in October 2022. The period of filing will be posted in October 2022. The form will have a postmark requirement that will be posted in October 2022. All candidates will be vetted for authenticity. (In other words, the FPHA will call you to verify your candidacy and the accuracy of submitted information.) If elected, the Board may perform a background check for felony convictions or crimes of moral turpitude as permitted by state law.
Absentee/Proxy Voting
Absentee - Early Voting Ballots will be mailed to each member in, 2022. The actual date of receipt may vary due to post office delivery. The ballots will be contained in the Election Issue of our FPHA Annual Newsletter.
Voting via Absentee Ballot requires that 2 open positions be voted for. If there are more than these 2 votes on the ballot for directors, the ballot will be ruled invalid except for the purpose of determining a quorum. (State law permits absentee ballots to be counted as being "in attendance" at the annual meeting for the purposes of establishing a quorum at the meeting. Prior to October 15, 2012, our FPHA "By-Laws" mandated a minimum of 10% of our Association be present to conduct an Annual Meeting either in person, by absentee ballots, or proxies, however recent legislative changes to the Texas Property Code, specifically Section 209.00593. (b) permit the Annual Meeting to be adjourned and reconvened to establish a lower quorum for the purpose of electing board members.
If you do wish to cast a vote for the election of Directors or other business, you may mail a Proxy to the FPHA Inc. to permit the President of the Board to cast your vote, or you may designate another person of your choice, as long as that person is a member of the Association and is present, but you must sign it and mail it to the FPHA. To be clear, you must either vote for candidates via absentee voting OR via proxy, not both. Procedure: You must sign the absentee ballot OR the Proxy and it must be received in the FPHA Post. Office Box (P.O. Box 1192, La Porte, TX 77572) NLT 5 PM December 05, 2022. If you show up in person at the meeting after casting an absentee vote or a Proxy designation, the ballot or proxy will be returned to you at the door when you enter. Note: You must present a photo ID to gain entrance to the meeting and/or to retrieve a ballot or proxy. Eligibility to vote will be determined by the member registration on the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) as the property owner. No exceptions.
Anyone interested in a Board Position must complete the form and return it either by email by US mail to PO Box 1192 La Porte, TX 77572 by the cut-off date. - Candidate filing period is October 17 - October 27, 2022. Filing period is now closed.
Fairmont Park Homes Association (Central) La Porte, Texas