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EFFECTIVE COMMITTEES FOR ASSOCIATIONS
April 1, 2005
After a Board of Directors has been elected and is in
place, the Board of Directors then establishes the
committee structure for the association. The documents
may dictate which committees should be in place and the
Board may want to establish other committees for other
problems and situations which may be anticipated throughout
the coming year. The formation of, and the appointment to,
the various committees is very important in that some
committees will be doing work on behalf of the Board of
Directors and they may have the authority to act on the
association’s behalf.
Since, the Hurricane Season of 2004, Board Members, Staff
and Property Managers are in need of more help to cope with
the resultant problems. As their positions are becoming
more and more demanding, it is increasingly more difficult
to keep up with the demands that are thrust upon them.
Without hiring more staff, the easiest way for an
association to keep up with the current demands is to form
and conduct some of the association’s business through the
use of committees. Whether a committee is a standing
committee or an advisory group, committees have the ability
to provide additional help, assistance and recommendations
for the association’s benefit. Committees can help
shoulder some of the demands placed upon the Board of
Directors and staff of the association.
After a Board of Directors has been elected and is in
place, the Board then establishes the committee structure
for the association. The documents may dictate which
committees should be in place and the Board may want to
establish other committees for other problems and
situations which may be anticipated throughout the coming
year. The formation of committees and the appointment to
the various committees is very important in that some
committees will be doing work for the Board of Directors
and may have authority to act on the association’s behalf.
Association committees can be advisory or vested with
authority to carry out their findings or recommendations.
The first type of committee is advisory and has no
authority to carry out any specific functions. Committees
are formed to analyze problems, gather information, review
facts and submit their recommendations to the Board of
Directors of the association. Sometimes, these are referred
to as Ad Hoc Committees. Examples of this type of
committee would be for special projects and one-time
special problem committees. They would be formed to
possibly look after the feasibility of a Capital
Improvement project or some other one-time project that the
Board and the membership may want to consider. The second
type of committee is more common and is formed for the
express purpose of carrying out a portion of the Board’s
responsibility. This type of committee is usually created
by and has its authority outlined in the Articles of
Incorporation and or Bylaws of the association. Other
committees may be created by a Board of Directors
Resolution. If created by the documents, they usually have
specific duties and functions outlined in the documents and
will provide the amount of authority that the committee may
exercise on behalf of the association. If the committee
was created by a Board of Directors Resolution, then the
resolution should specify the duties and just what the
committee’s authority really is. Sometimes, these are
referred to as an Ad Hoc or Standing Committee. A Standing
Committee is a permanent committee. Different kinds of
Standing Committees may be Finance Committee, Architectural
Control Committee, Covenants/Violation Committee, Security
Committee, Fines Committee and Landscape Committee.
In very large associations there may be an Executive
Committee which reports to the Board of Directors. The
Executive Committee is made up of the Chairpersons of the
Committees. The Executive Committee then brings any
concerns from their individual committees to the Board of
Directors for further consideration, discussion and
possible disposition.
Each Committee is important in helping to advise the Board
in each specific area that the committee is involved in.
Committee Chairpersons should provide a written monthly
report to the Board on their activities and recommendations.
Copyright 2007© Associated Property Management of the Palm Beaches, Inc.
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