convenants committee anonymous?

I read that the convenants committee members of xxx association are kept anonymous.
Is this common practice?
...the alleged violator may present a written request for a hearing before the Covenants Committee appointed pursuant to...
How do you have a meeting with anonymous people?
Barbara

Here goes the Sunshine law. What are they doing? Putting listening devices in the sprinkle heads? This sounds actually scary.

Barbara,

After one H.O. goes before them for a fine or whatever, they will no longer be anonymous. We did not publish their names on a marquis or fly by banner but on any listing of committees, they should be listed. That is one of those unwritten laws because of our open meeting requirements. I don't mean that meetings of THAT committee are open but reports from them can be available to the members after resolution is made. This is a real fine line as to what can and what cannot be open but you cannot hide their names if someone requests them.

Kelly,

I do understand what you're saying and I agree with you but it should be noted that a state's open meeting law for HOAs may not say anything about publishing names of committee members. The purpose of an open meeting law is to ensure that all meetings of the assn are open to the members.

BTW, FL has a "sunshine law" but it does NOT apply to HOAs. AZ has a public body open meeting law (same as FL's sunshine law) and also an HOA open meeting law.

As I stated earlier, even if a member attends a committee meeting, the committee members' names may not be announced. If it's a large assn it's doubtful the member will know who the committee members are. At our board meetings there is a name plaque in front of each board member so any member attending knows who is sitting up front. However, when the committee chairmen give their reports their name is not announced, so unless you happen to know who that person is you wouldn't know what their name is. Or you may hear their first name, but it's doubtful you'll hear their last name. So even when the meetings are open you may not hear everything you want to know.

Robert,

I would say it would depend upon what assn records are being accessed. This info would be shown on an Assn Roster. The Board meeting minutes would most likely contain the names of committee members being appointed but you may have to go back a number of years to get all the names. The Board meeting minutes most likely will have the name of each committee chair as they are called upon to give a committee report at each meeting.

Ann,

Interesting opinion. I have a differing view. IMO, many people who serve on HOA committees, especially the A/C committee, probably wouldn't mind their name being kept secret. I'm a member of the Advisory Committee and have no problem with my neighbors not knowing of my position. Several of my neighbors have gotten violation notices lately and who do you think they might blame if they knew I was on the Advisory Committee? Same for members of the A/C committee. It's one thing to be a board member and subject to member's being angry with you over one issue or another, quite different for committee members who have no input to board decisions. Advisory committee members have the same powers as board members, except for the right to vote on board actions.

We don't have ANY committees!!! Our By-Laws say our Architectural Review Committee is the BOD.

Of course, we're only 19 units (townhomes). There's really not anything anyone could do to their property that would need review... There are a few blessings to being a small association!