Serving on an HOA Committee can be informative, fulfilling, rewarding and fun. It can also be a challenge.
Getting an HOA committee underway is usually the result of owners within a community like ours recognizing a need to help enlighten the Board about a certain problem, or help them with a particular task. Sometimes it’s a matter of informal discussion between interested parties and the Board itself, and sometimes, it’s a formal notice to the Board that owners wish to form a committee in order to facilitate improvements.
However it happens, the Pointe South Mountain Bylaws makes it clear that the Board is responsible for establishing committees along with the rules that members of various committees follow. “The Board may appoint a nominating committee as provided in these Bylaws,” (Article VIII, page B-9). In addition, The Board of Directors may appoint other committees as deemed appropriate in carrying out its purposes.”
The Pointe South Mountain has a long history of engaging volunteers to work together on committees that have a common goal, i.e., Architectural Control, Hospitality, Courthome Advisory, and recently, Wash & Drainage, among others.
Our governing documents spell out committee composition, using the Architectural Control Committee as the example (Chapter 8, page 26): “The Architectural Committee shall consist of three regular members and two alternate members” (8.1.1). With the exception of the Architectural Control Committee, which follows the governing documents as its “charter,” the other groups hoping to form a committee typically produce a charter, which is reviewed and approved by the Board. The members of the committee determine who will “chair” the group, who will “co-chair” and what the other members will do to support the actions of the group as a whole. For newcomers and seasoned owners alike, this is a fun way to get to know your neighbors, and work together toward a common goal.
The Board of Directors reserves the right to appoint and remove all regular and alternate members of the any Committee at any time, but nomination and approval usually takes place during an Open Board Meeting. Removal of regular or alternate members requires written consent of a majority of the Directors. Regular or alternate members of committees, however, may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board. Vacancies on the Architectural Committee, however caused, are filled by the Board.
Using the Architectural Committee as the example, the duties of various committee members is also spelled out in our CC&Rs (Chapter 8, page 27, 8.2): “It shall be the duty of the (Architectural) Committee to consider and act upon any and all proposals or plans submitted to it pursuant to the terms hereof, to adopt Architectural Committee Rules, to perform other duties delegated to it by the Board, and to carry out all other duties imposed upon it by this Declaration or The Pointe South Mountain Rules.” The bottom line here is that “other duties” can present a challenge to a committee facing a shortage in bandwidth. This is where communication is so important. If the current Board President and committee Chair can reach an amicable, mutually beneficial plan, the duties can be “tweaked” to reflect what the committee is actually capable of delivering.
Operating within the agreed-upon charter, the committee usually meets monthly, but sometimes more frequently depending on the circumstances. For example, the Board recently asked the Wash & Drainage Committee to produce a community-wide wash inspection and evaluation report, so that group met more frequently and devoted additional time to accomplish this large task. Once submitted, it’s up to the Board to respond in a timely manner.
Remember that committee work is volunteer work, and it’s a commitment of time and energy. If you choose to serve a committee that is of interest, it also can be fun and rewarding.