There may be no clear agenda, or the items on the agenda may be badly defined, for example, people may not know if they are being asked to make a decision, listen to an announcement, brainstorm a solution or accept a proposal. If the goal of the meeting isn't clear, the group runs the risk of nothing being decided. Solution - define the goals of the meeting. Make a clearly outlined agenda and stick to it. The facilitator was inadequate.
Some meetings are more demanding than others.
In a group where everyone has similar skills at facilitating, rotate facilitators so everyone gets a chance to improve their skills. Provide training on facilitating meetings, especially if there are some people who have little or no experience in facilitating. Have co-facilitators for a meeting, this is also a good way to train people. For difficult meetings, get an outside person who is trained to take over. New people at the meeting don't know what's going on.