Jan 12, 2005

Proposal for Bulletin Board Announcements on the Web


Objectives

  • Permit announcements to be visible to those who don’t routinely pass the corner (thought to be a fairly large percentage of citizens).
  • Make submitting announcements more convenient.
  • Make the Web site more effective as a communications medium to citizens.

Current System

  • A committee appointed by the Borough Council, Trustees of the Bulletin Board, administers the Bulletin Board.
  • Current Members: Kris Barlow, Denise Melikian, Joanna George, Sue Marshall, Lynn Neeley, Mary Ann Pendleton, Elyse Ross, Cindy Shaw.
  • Anyone who wants an announcement puts a note in a tray on the counter at Borough Hall.
  • A box of the BB letters/numbers is kept downstairs at Borough Hall for the use of the committee.
  • A member of the committee comes to Borough Hall daily, retrieves an item from the tray and posts it on the board.
  • The posting job rotates; there is a schedule and each person on the committee does it in turn.

Proposal

  • Stakeholders submit proposed items using a Web page form on the Web site.
  • Form contains name, contact info, proposed text, expiration date.
  • Web site maintains a list of unexpired announcements.
  • All unexpired announcements appear in "What’s New" section.
  • Alternatively, an image of the Bulletin Board could be placed in the center with the displayed announcement changing every two seconds, cycling through the list.
  • A printable page will be available that contains the complete list of unexpired announcements.
  • The Trustees doing the Bulletin Board can either:
    1. Print it at home or the Library and bring it with them to Borough Hall;
    2. Ask someone in the office to print it when they get there.

Advantages

  • Will make the announcements available to those who don’t routinely drive by.
  • Will make ALL announcements available, not just the ones chosen for display or the one that happens to be there when you drive by.
  • Will be more convenient for submitters: Can do it from home at any time of day, not just during Borough Hall business hours.
  • More convenient for the Trustees: don’t have to do it during Borough Hall business hours.
  • Will foster the use of the Web site for improved communication.

Issues

  • Convincing the BB Trustees
  • Educating submitters