The Summit Scoop and the website

The following email is being sent today to the Board of Directors of the HOA. Do you have an opinion about news and publicity in The Summit?

A different issue is why most of the Neighborhood Representatives (Voting Members) do not attend board meetings or inform their residents of what is going on.

Email the board (if you are lucky enough to have their email addresses) or use the CONTACT US link on the webform at www.summithomeowners.com


Members of the Board,

May I offer the following suggestions?

On the HOA website the Newsletter Committee is listed, and it has no Mission. May I suggest establishing a Mission at your next board meeting?

May I suggest that it would be appropriate to have a board member or Homeowner/Member as the Chair of that Committee? Add homeowners and residents to the Committee. Teresa is a CAMS employee. No CAMS employee should chair a HOA committee.

Consider re-naming the Committee to Publicity or News, and include the website.

Revamp the website into a useful medium for information. Promote its use. Collect an email address from every Homeowner and resident. Eliminate the printed Scoop and direct all to the website. Send an email blast to all, when the latest Scoop is posted to the website. Move the Scoop up to the top of the front page of the website. List the board members with the terms-of-office and contact information.

Bring the website to life. Right now it is dead and probably unused. It is b-o-r-i-n-g.
Ex., The latest RCSD Crime Report is December 2020!  
Ex., The latest Safety Committee Report is March 5, 2020. That's two years ago.
Ex., Under Vehicle Break-ins, the CAT officer is listed as Deputy Roberts. Wrong...

When too much stale information is there, people stop going there for new items.

I suggest revamping The Summit Scoop into a format that would provide value to the Homeowner and residents.

Every Member/Homeowner and resident in The Summit should receive the Scoop, newspaper box or not.  

Publish The Scoop at the beginning of the month. That has been under discussion for at least a year. Currently, there seems to be no commitment or urgency for the editor to comply with the board's wishes. Today is the 21st of the month. No March Scoop.

Because the Board operates on an agenda with nothing ever listed for New Business or Old Business, left-over items like attention the Scoop get forgotten.

On the homepage, at the bottom of the Neighborhood News tab is a Latest Information section with four buttons.
Upcoming Events? Nothing is ever posted here.
Message Board? This is stale.
Recent News? Rename the button "The Scoop"
Ask A Question? This should go to the webform for the office.

Schools are not "Richland County 2" Use the correct name (Richland School District Two) and include the website, www.richland2.org

The Summit Scoop could be an exciting, award-winning publication. Right now it's not even good enough to wrap the old fish in.

Gus Philpott
Resident, Barony Place II
www.baronyplace.blogspot.com

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