Communications Committee Strategic Plan Suggestions?

Started by PatriciaC9 • 11 replies • 1405 views

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PatriciaC9 (Florida)
Posts: 3

Posted:

Hi all-

I am new to HOA life and new to Florida life, but I work in Higher Ed and so I am used to committee life.

Our HOA just had turnover last year and we are struggling to come up with a clear plan of action for our newly born COmmunications Committee. So much of what happens seems to cross over lines and get messy so quickly.

If anyone has any resources or a committee charge/charter that they would be willing to share, I would be grateful.

If my question is too broad, I amy also not know what or how to ask just yet, but reinventing the wheel seems to be less than a productive use of our time. We are not the first to go through this right?

Thanks for any thoughts or information-
Patti

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Welcome to the Forum, Patricia.

I've been visiting this forum for a few years now and can't recall discussions of Communications Committees. Can you help us understand what such a Committee might do? What would be its purpose or goal? Is it something that could be accomplished by a newsletter, which many HOAs have? Or some sort of website or actual community bulletin boards?

Just a bit about your HOA: do you have a property manager? What size is your HOA? Your Board of Directors? Do you have many amenities? I'm trying to think of what might be the duties of such a Committee & knowing more about your HOA might help.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

Patricia,

If you do an internet search on HOA Communications Committee Charter you will be able to see a good amount of them.

GwenG (Florida)
Posts: 669

Posted:

A new Florida Condo statute was just passed requiring all condos to have a website presence by July 2018 and post ALL Condo business records there. A mirror bill is expected to be passed this year for HOA's. Perhaps other states and certainly other HOA's and condos in other states are implementing computer-based technology for communication with owners. (Florida is simply mandating it.)

Considering the cost savings of using internet-based business communications, I would ask a Communications Committee to have three priorities: 1) start publicizing an upcoming HOA website and harvesting email addresses and permissions, 2) set up a business website and a vehicle to offer computer assistance to members and reliably and timely post business records and 3) start looking into online voting for elections and other business of the association.

In this day and age, forward-looking HOA's should start stepping away from paper-based systems and take advantage of the cost efficiencies that technology offers.

GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By GwenG on 09/29/2017 4:13 PM
... a vehicle to offer computer assistance to members...

We had some brief discussion on that subject earlier this week since we're going to replace the 12 year-old PC in the clubhouse. One owner asked if there would be step-by-step instructions to follow. A reasonable expectation, I think. I was asked to be involved with that task and I declined. We will have a hard time finding anyone to be a babysitter for the computer literate, the help desk for random internet problems, and the complaint line for those who can't be bothered to remember their passwords. Hard pass on that.

GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276

Posted:

computer illiterate, I mean.

PatriciaC9 (Florida)
Posts: 3

Posted:

Ah! OMG Thank you all so much for your replies!!

I have been finding it challenging to search the web for things that will find me good results and I suppose I gave up before getting on this committee, thank you for that suggestion.

As far as our community, we just had turnover in August 2016 and we are on our first BOD. We are an HOA with 1400+ homes, 2 pools, tennis, basketball and miles and miles of roads, responsibilities and the like. We have many full time families and retirees, some snow birders and some renters, I dare say maybe 33% each although that is my guess not a fact.

We have a management company that carries on the day to day business, but they are lacking in direction. My belief is that that BOD charged us to come up with our own path becuase they are tired of hearing people complain about the type and frequency (ir infrequency) and ineffectiveness of the communications coming out of the Board and Mgt Company.

Again, as I am VERY new to this, it is hard for me to even understand what is expected of the Mgt company. I am in the process of asking for the contract so that I know what we are paying for (do they provide a web presence, should we provide one, for example and ask them to maintain) and then I think we can go from there.

Some of our initial concerns are:

Our outdated web presence and who hold the keys and who should hold the keys.
Setting up a schedule of reminders for events to prevent eager vendors and residents from pushing to have multiple reminders in a day or week.
Getting all our contracts and other HOA docs on the web

I will do some research and get back to everyone, happy to entertain all comments.

Patti

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

Patricia,

We are a 130 lot development.

We maintain a website and publish a newsletter.
We also have an email notification system that is only used for important info (snow removal info and scheduling changes in trash/recycling pick up).

Keep maintenance of any item to a minimum.

We have a lot of info on our website but other then adding minutes or a copy of the newsletter, it doesn't need a lot of upkeep. Perhaps 1 hr a month.

We don't commit to scheduled times of newsletters. Our goal is four per year. However, we have done many more and a few less based on volunteers.

We have had a lot of positive feedback for our notification system I think that is because we don't send everything via email. As mentioned earlier, we only email when it's important or very timely.

GwenG (Florida)
Posts: 669

Posted:

I will add a caution since you mentioned "holding the keys". Make sure that the only key held is NOT by the Management Company. If they use their "own" website, it might not be available to you if you terminate your Management Contract. Don't buy into an assurance-protect your HOA from 3rd parties holding it hostage to a secured website. Give MC a "maintenance key" to an independent website if they will be responsible for posting content. Assure that the Association is in FULL POSSESSION of the website and is able to port content to another website if desired in the future. Your MC might be object since they have an interest in using one database across the different management functions and might want to charge more to sign on to another website for posting content. Take if from the voice of experience--pay the tab within reason or find another source to administer the website!

Additionally, DO NOT get into a situation where software is proprietary! Many management companies use TOPS and this is not open source software. If MC is no longer in the picture, there goes the historical website content and you may have to start over.

In my HOA, the incoming MC delegated an existing "casual" HOA website to an owner who was familiar with website administration. This was for convenience and to save money. It backfired badly when this homeowner eventually asserted his own agenda over the community purpose and started dictating to the board when and what he would post. He could have captured ALL the historical content and withheld it from the HOA owners because there was no written business agreement.

Our state has just passed a law requiring condo associations to establish a website and to post ALL business content on the website. A web presence may one day be mandated by more states as paper-based communication becomes more obsolete. You will be ahead of the curve and and save yourself a lot of money in paper and postage by training owners to use their computers for information and announcements and possible expansion for ballots and elections!

PatriciaC9 (Florida)
Posts: 3

Posted:

HI Gwen-

Thank you for this, your bad experience is exactly the cautionary tale that I needed. Working in Higher Ed, I know all these things from that perspective, but it doesn't mean that I know the conventions at this level for this business.

I appreciate you sharing!!

Patti

JanetB2 (Colorado)
Posts: 4,219

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By GwenG on 10/09/2017 1:55 PM
I will add a caution since you mentioned "holding the keys". Make sure that the only key held is NOT by the Management Company. If they use their "own" website, it might not be available to you if you terminate your Management Contract. Don't buy into an assurance-protect your HOA from 3rd parties holding it hostage to a secured website. Give MC a "maintenance key" to an independent website if they will be responsible for posting content. Assure that the Association is in FULL POSSESSION of the website and is able to port content to another website if desired in the future. Your MC might be object since they have an interest in using one database across the different management functions and might want to charge more to sign on to another website for posting content. Take if from the voice of experience--pay the tab within reason or find another source to administer the website!

Additionally, DO NOT get into a situation where software is proprietary! Many management companies use TOPS and this is not open source software. If MC is no longer in the picture, there goes the historical website content and you may have to start over.

In my HOA, the incoming MC delegated an existing "casual" HOA website to an owner who was familiar with website administration. This was for convenience and to save money. It backfired badly when this homeowner eventually asserted his own agenda over the community purpose and started dictating to the board when and what he would post. He could have captured ALL the historical content and withheld it from the HOA owners because there was no written business agreement.

Our state has just passed a law requiring condo associations to establish a website and to post ALL business content on the website. A web presence may one day be mandated by more states as paper-based communication becomes more obsolete. You will be ahead of the curve and and save yourself a lot of money in paper and postage by training owners to use their computers for information and announcements and possible expansion for ballots and elections!

Amen ... I agree!!!

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