Board Attendance: Dave Breeden, Leo Burke, Bill & Sheila Hartranft, Dave & Marie Hayes, Suzanne Hornick, Don Kerns, Donna Moore, Vic Staniec & Jim Tweed Meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance at 7:00 P.M. with welcome by Jim Tweed.
Guest Speaker • Thomas O. Herrington, PHD, Associate Director of the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University. Details of his presentation are attached.
Web Communications – Dave Hayes
Due to time constraints, this was the only reporting covered at this meeting.
The current solution to updating (recreating) our web site is to form an action plan. Drastic changes have taken place in this area over the last five years. We have obtained two quotes to set up a new website; one for $6,000+ and one for $2,575.00, plus $50.00 per month for six months to monitor and maintain the site. This also includes a training webinar. We would then be free to decide how the site would be maintained/managed going forward.
It should be noted that the current site was a good model at the time it was set up. It was also cost free as Jim Rudolph, who has maintained the site considered this his contribution (dues) to FIT.
Following are the comments from each board as to their thoughts:
Marie Hayes – Would like to see us move forward and set up the new site.
Donna Moore – Would also like to see us move forward. Also begin to set goals and priorities for this new site.
Vince Staniec – Feels the monthly fees are too high. Wouldn’t it be easier and less costly to use Facebook. Response from Dave—Time sensitivity and limited space to post on Facebook. The site would need to be closely managed.
Don Kerns – Are we spending money on something no one uses? Sheila did explain that though we can’t observe this on the current site, Jim Rudolph can. The last I had heard from him we had about 3000 hits so far this year. People are visiting the site even if they don’t communicate directly to members.
Leo Burke – What is the problem with the current site and why wasn’t it addressed? Dave responded, that, as stated above, times and technology have changed. There was nothing wrong with the old site, but we now need to take advantage of newer technology.
Sheila Hartranft – We should move forward. On the new site would like to see an archive section so that the most current information is the first that site visitors would see without searching through the whole site. If it is archived and they wish to see the history, it would still be available.
Dave Breeden – Also supports moving forward, but we should be sure to have control of the site.
Bill Hartranft – We need to treat this as a project with action items, timelines, etc. I’ll put together a straw model and we should set up a committee and schedule regular meetings to achieve consensus and check our progress.
Suzanne Hornick – Supports moving forward. OCFlooding Committee gets about 2500 regular visitors and they can be referred to the website. Recommended we set up a communications committee for this effort. • Jim Tweed motioned to accept the bid of $2,500 plus $50 per month for six months and to adopt a communications committee. Seconded by Suzanne Hornick and carried 10 to 1. Volunteers for the committee are Dave Hayes, Bill Hartranft and Suzanne and Mark Hornick.
New Business – Jim Tweed • Leo Burke feels that we should have an action plan to set goals and priorities, both long and short, have an annual budget and work toward increasing our membership and revenues. Jim Tweed motioned to adopt the action committee comprised of Leo Burke, chair, Bill Hartranft and Don Kerns. Seconded by Sheila Hartranft and carried unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 8: 50 P.M The next meeting will be Wednesday, July 11, 2018. One week later, as 4th of July falls on the first Wednesday of this month.
Respectively submitted by Sheila Hartranft, Secretary