Message Boards/Hoa or Owners Portal In California

Hello, I'm running for our HOA Board of Directors. One of my goals in running and part of my election statement is the creation of a HOA electronic message board or a community type portal. We have nothing at this point. Frankly, our communication stinks. We have over 200 units in our community. Current sitting members don't seem so hot on the idea. I know there can be issues and I know this would need to be moderated. Current members mentioned there were possible legal issues regarding this being sanctioned by the HOA. Is this true? Someone mentioned the possibility of being sued if someone said something inappropriate.

Does anyone have info on this? Is setting up something like a private Facebook page a good Idea. I just feel in this day and age USPS mail communications isn't enough. Anyone who can shed FACTUAL light on this please respond. We are a community in Hayward California is that helps.

I truly appreciate your feedback.

Rich

Does your HOA have newsletter? Ours is monthly and keeps residents up-to-date on everything (200 unit urban high rise). Our mgmt. Co. (MC ) also mangoes our website, which also has announcements, etc. You do have an MC, right?

WE don' t have the kind of interactive site you want.

Kudos on your willingness to serve.

Rich,

I maintain our Association website for the past 8 years.
Per statute, our website also has a forum which allows members to exchange ideas, etc.
To minimize spam, members must register to post anything but anyone may read.

To date, there have been 2 members on the forum. I am one of them.

You can lead a member to information but you can't make them read it.

I say do not make a website interactive as it often leads to a bytching session. Make it informational only like a newsletter. Do have Covenants, Bylaws, R&R's, Budgets, Meeting Minutes, etc all available online.

I started a Facebook page years ago but only use it for announcements and reminders.

No, we don't have a newsletters. We use snail mail and posting 8.5 x 11 notices in this tiny communication box near our mail box house. I've attending meetings and this is a huge issue. I missed the first to meetings as a new owner because of the lack of communication. We do have a management company. We have went through 2 property managers since April 2016. I can't say I'm overly pleased. If you don't mind me asking do you pay the management extra to monitor that?

I own a MC and don't charge extra for maintaining the web portal.

Ok, let me ask a question......Why doesn't the board participate? I guess this is the part I don't understand. What happens if you do sanction it? I mean yes there will be bitching and complaining. I've sat on a advisory council for a civic org and there was. However, we at very least had open and at very least semi clear communication. I just don't see that from this board. For instance.....We have a mail house. it was not enclosed. We paid for metal doors with electronic key fobs to be installed for better security. It was supposed to go live June 1. Each resident has their fobs. However, there is no communication as to why these aren't working. It's the little things I guess.

Agreed on the social media thing. I really like how you explained that. We do have a MC. Your are correct with the biggest complaint. One thing I don't want is anonymous type users. I don't want logins to be Sexyman608 or Ilovebeer. I want there to be clear and understandable communication.

The other thing I was wanting to do is set up an owner forum in person once per year. I'd like to do what you said hash thing out face to face as constructively as possible. Our current meeting agenda allows for owners to speak 3 mins each but only 15 mins total. I understand that more could take up and entire meeting and never end but I just feel allowing owners to talk is a way to get them more engaged.

My HOA has a community website AND an independent, owner-administered website. The cost of the HOA website is, in my opinion, ridiculous and easily exceeds the monthly printing costs of paper newsletters. I believe this is because the Board has hired outsiders to scan documents and perhaps forward to MC who seems to be doing some posting. Also, the Board members post their Minutes and an occasional message that noone reads.

Why is the website not used? Because it is a MESS. It is not user navigable, it is disorganized and no one take accountability for it. The MC and Board do nothing to promote and encourage owners to use it although all owners are "preassigned a password" and only need to activate it. Of nearly 800 units, maybe a hundred have gotten a password.

The database possible from the website could be a launching point for electronic voting and I have suggested this as a promotional strategy. In that way, the HOA could not only save paper and postage costs of communicating but the cost of elections. The costs of online voting systems is far less than the cost of even half a mailing to 800 members, most of whom live in Canada.

The original operational concept of the website was to have 20+ clubs write and post their own updates of activities and announcements. This has, of course, not happened. Most club actors don't know how, don't want to learn and don't want to do it. In my experience, neither does the MC or the Board. Most people use the website as an online photo album to look at pictures of a hot dog social.

By contrast, an owner in the community takes sole responsibility for a large forum that costs $0 and promptly posts ALL records in one place so that users can easily identify where to go to find date sequenced, propery-named documents in one place. The forum typically gets over 100 views daily and has been as high as 500+ views. The website is totally OPEN for anyone's comments (including outsiders), though the Administrator has option to review before comments are published. This is easy, all comments are immediately sent in a message to smartphone, comments are read and Admin pushes the button to Publish. In that way, any comments that might be slanderous or not in compliance with website owner's TOS are redacted or kicked back.

Unlike a proprietary software program "owned and controlled" by the MC, the independent Owner website is transferrable at will to another host and the records history will not be preserved. This eliminates the possibility of losing historical digital records held hostage by a fired or otherwise released MC.

A blend of these two concepts might work; ie form a standing technical committee independent but oversighted by the Board to post ALL material and owner comments.

There is really no need to password-protect, for all practical reasons of "privacy". The owner-independent website COULD easily be password protected for certain document boards. Neither the owner nor the HOA has had significant problems with slander due to the screening and review of comments. There has not been any dire consequences of posting internal business records and I personally believe that this "danger" is overhyped. However, if one was concerned, business document boards could easily be password protected. Given peoples' reluctance to register, the Owner of the independent website has chosen to keep the website open to Guests AND Registered members and simply monitor.

RichB6-I think TimB4 got it right on Board participation. I happen to know that the Board follows the independently-owned website quite closely and it is relatively easy to see that from actions that follow conversations closely in time and IP addresses.

That is why the Owner chose to leave the Website as open and "anonymous" so that everyone could comment and participate without fear of Big Brother retaliating against dissenting opinions.

IMO, this works best for all. The board can "listen in" if it wants to and act (or not). They have plausible denial, as well. The owners can comment and be heard, knowing that the Board is also monitoring but cannot identify the Commenter. Thus, the Board is relieved of its perceived "liability position" in taking a position outside of a safe business meeting and Owners participate in the only safe way available.

Sad..but true.