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Is your Association self managed or do you have a Mgmt Company?
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Good question.
The developer of our single-family home community stepped out of the picture about 5 years ago. The HOA board hires a management company, apparently for "legal reasons" whatever that means. Any questions to the mgmt company are referred to the board president. The board also selects the landscaping company for common areas, pool management company, etc. To the best of my knowledge, the mgmt company handles only collection of HOA fees and issuance of official documents. They do not take part in any board meetings except the annual homeowners meeting.
I agree with you that meeting minutes do not need to be public in the broad sense of the term, but should be easily available to all property owners. Our community has a nice website, with the potential for PW protected documents. The board repeatedly declines to use this tool to share minutes with property owners. We also have an Architectural Review Board, appointed by the HOA board, with authority to issue exemptions to the bylaws, such as setbacks, tree removal, etc. ARB decisions are NEVER shared publicly.
Our bylaws define board member terms, but no maximum number of terms. If a board member wishes to remain, his/her name is the only one on the ballot. If he/she leaves, the only name on the ballot is someone recommended by the board. For years this was passed off as "lack of interest", until word got around last year that 4 community members requested to be nominated. After a fuss, the board agreed to review procedures, and then reached the decision that current procedures were adequate. What a surprise....
I know that condo properties are a different animal, particularly when a large percentage are investment owners or second homes. Our community is exclusively permanent residents, with the exception of a small number of upscale rental properties. We are also perceived as a desirable community, and all home buyers receive a copy of the bylaws. Unfortunately, you must live here awhile to be able to read between the lines. From discussions I've had with friends in other neighborhoods, our HOA is not an exception. IMO, even SC's government couldn't get away with conducting bizness like too many HOA's are currently doing. I don't have a lot of faith this bill is going to make much difference.
Oooops, the damn soapbox appeared again, didn't it.
'scuse me, I'll step back down....
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People who are in defense of an HOA have never been at the other end of the stick. HOAs serve no purpose. I moved to my current location in Glenmoor subdivision of Conway Sc in order to be closer to my practice in Conway. I wanted to avoid HOAs all together but my wife love the home and I reasoned that HOA may be less overbearing on Home owners. We bought in 2009 and enjoyed our location until we had a falling out with our neighbor. Our neighbor is an retiree as well more than half the residents and also an HOA board member. Since then I have received 7 different violations and many of the violations are for rules that do not exist. Well after a year of the BS, my wife and I decided to move to an area w/o a HOA with 3 acres of land and 5 mins from my office. I turn out well for us, but for my neighbor he will have to get uses to living next to renters. 
