Village Grande at English Mill Homeowners Association Home . About . Committees . Board . Resources

Website Meetings

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1. Future Meetings
   • Monday 04/07/2025 - Website Committee Focused
2. Monday 03/31/2025 - Website Committee Focused
3. Friday 03/28/2025 - Website Resident Meeting
4. Thursday 03/27/2025 - Finance Committee Focused
5. Monday 03/24/2025 - Website Committee Focused
6. Thursday 03/20/2025 - Board Focused
7. Thursday 03/13/2025 - Board Focused

Accounts and Roles

Member	Email 1	FTP	Reports Admin 3	Requests Email Notifications 2	Landscape Interface	Board Interface	Mgmt Co Email Interface 2	cPanel Webmaster	cPanel User	Webmaster Backup
Walt	X	X 4	X	X				X
Jo-Anne	X	X	X	X	X	X
Terry	X	X 4	X	X
Patsy	X	X 4	X	X
Bernie	X	X
Dan	X	X
Hedy

1. Email account required for FTP account.
2. Currently management company is notified of requests via email forwards from Email Request Notifications sent to website committee members. There are multiple recipients but 1 should probably forward the email requests to the management company. Who is that? When they do that, they need to update the database showing that the community manager has been notified and move the status from Open to Accepted.
3. Admin includes the ability to see personal info in the request and the ability to modify the requests and move them through to close status.
4. Up and running on FTP using filezilla.

Monday 04/07/2025 - Website Committee Focused

Topics

• Around the room thoughts
• Follow up on easy items:
  • Directory, charter, procedures - landscaping database sync approach
  • Community manager has been added to online requests email notifications
• Should we have another resident website meeting and demonstrate the online request submission process
• Should we submit an online request for pictures of new residents and obituaries and track this
• Look at the Accounts and Roles table above, any changes
• Updated pages since last meeting
  • Committees - added vgem.org email addresses where they are available
  • Directory - added new link for online directory
• Maintaining the website
  • AOLPRESS (demo)
  • Setup different FTP site connections (demo)
    • public_html (Internet)
    • vgem-office
    • prototypes
  • Follow up on building a website video website support page . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJwlrr2lpiw
• Follow up on difficult items:
  • Getting old issues of VGEM News and Grande Gazettee
  • ACC will begin inspections, should they be inspecting VGEM clubhouse, grounds, forests, pools, etc. and filling out online quality defects
  • Need official HOA documents
    • How do we do this
      • Ask community manager by filling out multiple online requests
      • How should official HOA documents be delivered
        • By email or placed in VGEM Office area by Board Secretary
        • Should these documents exist in both places Internet & VGEM Office areas
      • Once documents arrive they all need to be renamed using a proper naming convention
        • This was already done on the website because it was unmanageable
    • Committees and Clubs - points of contact were provided by the President
      • DONE
    • Finance - Need to get all the missing budgets and an updated graphic
      • Cleaned up
      • MISSING DOCs
    • Directory - How do we force an updated directory to happen immediately
      • Management company providing data
      • In Process
    • Operations & Forms - Need to get a proper baseline of all documents and forms
      • Cleaned up
      • MISSING DOCs
    • Bylaws and Rules - Need to get all the documents
      • Cleaned up
      • MISSING DOCs
    • Minutes - Need to get all the open session agendas, meeting minutes, and other related documents
      • Cleaned up
      • MISSING DOCs
  • Go through the database and accept closed items, update and close other items
• Future Meetings topics

Minutes

After the meeting thoughts

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Monday 03/31/2025 - Website Committee Focused

Topics

• Around the room thoughts
• Look at the Accounts and Roles table above
• Go through the database and accept closed items, update and close other items
• Follow up on charter progress
• Follow up on landscaping database sync approach
• Should we add the community manager to the automatic email when a request is submitted
  • Or does 1 committee member forward the email to the community manager (current approach)
  • Who will be forwarding the request emails to the community manager
• Updated pages since last meeting
  • Directory
  • Finance
  • Operations & Forms
  • Bylaws and Rules
• Need official HOA documents
  • How do we do this
    • Is it time to engage the community manager for information
    • Should we fill out multiple online requests
    • How should official HOA documents be delivered
      • By email or placed in VGEM Office area by Board Secretary
      • Should these documents exist in both places Internet & VGEM Office areas
      • Once documents arrive should they all be renamed using a proper naming convention
  • Committees and Clubs - points of contact were provided by the President
    • The website was updated and is current
  • Finance - Need to get all the missing budgets and an updated graphic
  • Directory - How do we force an updated directory to happen immediately
    • Is this produced by the management company, they have all the data
  • Operations & Forms - Need to get a proper baseline of all documents and forms
    • Procedures, Forms, Rules, Bylaws, FAQs, Welcome Package, Charters, etc
    • Do we do this by looking at the current documents on the website, deleting and renaming as needed
    • Or do we request an official delivery from the management company, and delete everything else
  • Bylaws and Rules - Need to get all the documents
  • Minutes - Need to get all the open session agendas, meeting minutes, and other related documents
• Maintaining the website
  • Follow up on AOLPRESS MAC install
  • Follow up on FTP and AOPRESS install
  • Follow up on building a website video website support page . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJwlrr2lpiw
  • Discuss prototype area
• Future Meetings topics

Minutes

• Went through the Topics above
• Resident request at meeting
  • Can we have pictures of new residents?
  • Can we have pictures of Obituaries?
• Patsy prepared a website charter, she will email a google docs link for review
• Bernie will speak with Tara about getting a database dump of residents names, addresses, phones, and emails for an online directory that is current
• Terri will prepare a Policy / Procedure for how the form submissions and database updates will happen
  • It was suggested that the database should be updated prior to an Open Session Meeting
  • As part of the website committee report, the database will be presented at the Open Session Meeting
  • It was agreed that the community manager should be immediately added to the online request submissions
• There was email activity
  • Everyone went through the email password change and email forwarding setup
  • One setup their iPhone email
• Demonstrated the prototype area to be used as a sandbox for people to build their own website ideas
• Downloaded and setup filezilla for one member
• There were significant updates to the website since the last meeting, should that be captured in the database - the answer was no, we are still in early development
• The ACC will begin inspections, they should be inspecting the VGEM HOA property, clubhouse, grounds, forests, pools, etc.

After the meeting thoughts

• Should we submit an online request for the pictures of new residents and obituaries and track this

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Friday 03/28/2025 - Website Resident Meeting

Topics

• Go through presentation Website Presentation pptx . Website Presentation pdf
• Go through website https://www.vgem.org

Minutes

• There were around 25 people in attendance
• Went through the presentation
• Went through the website
• Other websites were shown and described
• Spent most of the time on the online form submission and database reporting
  • Example online green form demo
  • Example online brown form demo
  • The process to sync up the paper forms with the online database was described
• Some request submissions were made at the meeting
  • Emergency preparedness and safety manual
• Some website issues were identified and they were entered into the database shortly after the meeting
  • Club first and last name error
  • Broken Flyer link
  • Remove all the text from the top of the form submission
• Two residents had a problem logging into the resident directory, entered into the database
  • Upon investigation it appears that they inadvertently pressed the cancel button
  • If a bad password is entered the system just keeps reprompting
  • This is an example of user behavior that needs to be protected

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Thursday 03/27/2025 - Finance Committee Focused

Topics

• FTP access to VGEM Office area
• Managing the VGEM Office area

Minutes

• There were 5 attendees (2 finance and 3 website) plus 1 board attendee that was in and out of the meeting.
• Two attendees were able to download, install, and get filezille running. Both attendees were able to connect to the web hosting areas (1 PC and 1 MAC). One was using an incorrect password, when the password was reset at the cPanel, they were able to connect. One was having setup issues, but when pointed to the policy page that shows the setup, they were able to complete the setup and connect to the web hosting servers.
• The web hosting company was discussed and why it was selected. Archiving services at the web hosting company were discussed. It was mentioned that eventually the website committee will develop an archiving strategy.
• The topic of archiving was discussed. It was mentioned that there was a computer in the office and it was being backed up by a company in PA that stores paper in a mountain (Probably Iron Mountain). No one in attendance knew where the computer was located and where the files went that were on the computer. It was also mentioned that there were some laptops but no one in the room knew where the laptops went.
• Finance is currently storing all the VGEM files on their personal computers. If those computers go, the files will be lost.
• It was suggested that the secretary should take control of the VGEM-Office area and create the folders as needed. There is a starting set of folders. Also the paper documents, if not cataloged need to be organized, cataloged, and filed appropriately. There should be a documented procedure. Currently the entire board has access to the VGEM-Office area.
• It was questioned if the documents can be set to read only, and the answer is yes using filezilla. This can be done for individual files or as an entire directory and subdirectories. Not mentioned at the meeting - this will not prevent someone from deleting files.
• Based on some of the discussions at the meeting, Maturity Levels need to be reviewed: Maturity Levels

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Monday 03/24/2025 - Website Committee Focused

Topics

• Introductions
  • What are the website committee volunteers interests?
• Review
  • Website Presentation pptx . Website Presentation pdf
  • Policy
  • Website Support Page
  • Disclaimer
• Accessing the resident directory requires a user name and password, how should this be distributed to the residents?
  • Word of mouth
  • Posted in clubhouse on bulletin board
  • TownSq and Volos announcement
  • Meetings
  • VGEM News
  • Put it on the directory webpage
  • Have them press a link / button on the webpage
  • Enter street name
  • 400+ unique logins is not manageable
  • Make decision at this meeting and update database
    • This will be the approach / credentials for access to all other closed areas on website
• Demo request to add email to splash page (exercise equip problem was used)
  • This was requested at the last website committee meeting
• Access levels and Website Security
  • Public
  • Resident
  • Committee
  • Other
• Some possible activities:
  • Write the website committee charter Patsy
  • Write the website policies . Current Website Policy Patsy
  • Get electronic copies uploaded to the website
    • Grande Gazette Archive
    • VGEM News
    • Old Meeting Minutes
    • Old Budgets
  • Landscaping interface Jo-Anne
    • Intercept paper green and brown forms to enter the info into the online database
    • Pass electronic green and brown form entries to landscape committee as paper hard copy online database press Report link
    • Update the online database with progress until green and brown forms are closed online database press Modify link

Minutes

• There were 6 members that attended the meeting.
• The topics addressed are in the above Topics list. It was an intense meeting and everyone eventually realized this is not a technical challenge.
• The concept of Internet area and Office Area on the web hosting system was described
  • Documents can move between the two areas
  • The two areas should capture our history
• The idea of community history was discussed
  • Event photographs was discussed
  • All felt that the site should have event photographs
  • The need for possible photo releases was discussed
  • This included history such as the directories
• The directory password will be distributed using TownSq and Volos announcement, Meetings,VGEM News
• The directory issue in the database was updated and closed.
• Patsy will look into writing a Website Committee Charter see website committee charter.
• Patsy will look into writing Website Policies, there is a huge amount of content located at website policies . Current Website Policy . website support page.
• Jo-Anne will become the Landscaping interface
  • She will need admin access and update / change accessed on the reporting tool
  • The problems with the current system were discussed
• Jo-Anne will present the idea of a Website Committee Charter to the board
  • Currently there are only 2 recognized committees, they are as required by the state of NJ
  • Everyone agreed that this is required to keep the website up and running
• Terry will look into getting additional Grande Gazettes
• The database was demonstrated with the directory decision and closing of the record.
• The electronic Communications form entry was demonstrated by entering a real problem.
• The database update was demonstrated with a new entry.
• AOLPRESS and FileZilla were demonstrated by updating this page.
• All tools run on win XP, 10, and 11. They are available for the Mac but not sure about their stability.
• The FYI was discussed and it was mentioned that the earliest FYI would be in June. Walt said he is ready to go now, this Friday. Jo-Anne will investigate.

Not mentioned at the meeting but later communicated via email.

• Firefox, Google and Safari work. Not sure about android phones.
• Content can be copied from web browser and pasted into MS word Document as plain text, original format in the HTML page, or destination format in the document.
• It is suggested to paste first using the destination format in the MS Word document.

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Thursday 03/20/2025 - Board Focused

Topics

• Need Info for Updates
  • Club members
  • Committee members
  • VGEM News
  • Old Gazette issues
  • Finance
  • Meeting agendas
  • Meeting minutes
• Accessing the VGEM-Office area on the web hosting company servers using FTP (File Transfer Program)
  • This is how documents will be uploaded to the VGEM-Office area that is not accessible to the Internet
  • Discuss the concept of Internet area and VGEM-Office area and which area should be used for different document types
• Admin cPanel access demo
• favicon image branding
• Webmail VGEM branding
• VGEM Quality Improvement Tools
  • Communications and Trouble Reports demo
  • Using Quality Report Database demo

Minutes

• Two board members and one web site committee member attended the meeting.
• One person could not attend because of a permanent schedule conflict. There was discussion of a new day and or time including meeting in the evening.
• All the above topics were addressed. They came from the previous Future Topics items.
• The meeting started with a demo of the new splash page showing the clubhouse, address, and two images that randomly change with each page load / reload. These changes came from different residents and are captured in the online Communications and Trouble Reports Database.
• The committee and clubs page was updated based on a resident comment and is captured in the Communications and Trouble Reports Database.
• Currently the approach is to copy and pasted the email announcements from Tara into the webpage that lists all the events. Should those copy and paste operations be sanitized using a set of agreed upon rules?
• Other community websites were demonstrated and briefly discussed. The links are located at: website support page.
• There was a discussion about the directory. A decision was made to place it behind a login with a user name and password. It is in the Communications and Trouble Reports Database.
• There was a discussion about the landscaping forms and how the paper forms and electronic forms will be synchronized. It was acknowledged that this will be a bumpy road. It was also mentioned that perhaps we may want to split the existing form into separate form entries. It was mentioned that the single form was used to minimize resident confusion and allow them to see all their submission alternatives in one view. For example, what might start out as a green form submission might become a board contact after the resident thinks about their request.
• The NJ CAR was discussed. It has old information. The suggestion was to update it with the next cycle in November / December time frame. The officers need to be updated and the VGEM corporate office address needs to be updated to its actual physical location.
• It was discussed that the website committee needs updated info as outlined in the above topics.
• The FTP program filezilla was demonstrated to show how it connects to the VGEM-Office area on the web hosting computers. It was identified that all the board members have access to this area using their email account login credentials. It was discussed - who should upload / download VGEM documents - all boards members or a single point of contact. A suggestion was to have the magement company do this. It was mentioned that this is a VGEM corporate property and the management company probably should not have access to this area. This may not be fully agreed upon at this time. What is agreed is that the documents currently housed by the management company need to be archived, just in case there is a change in the future.
• The Communications and Trouble Reports Database was demonstrated and discussed. It was mentioned that the goal is to stop the landscaping emails from going back and forth and have the residents look at this page to see the status of their request. It was suggested that perhaps the other forms can also be added such as the architecture forms. It was mentioned that these forms are in a different category because the town gets involved. It is a different more formal system.
• One board member expressed interest in downloading and installing filezilla. This should be a topic at the next meeting.
• Like in the previous meeting, the topic of volunteers surfaced several times and how we are lacking volunteers. This is a reality check on the website adventure.
• The cPanel was accessed and briefly described. As part of the demo the resident directory was given a username and password access restriction. It was a ~10 second operation. The email accounts were shown and how those accounts have been given FTP access to the VGEM-Office or Internet areas. It was mentioned that if someone needs access to both areas they will need 2 separate accounts.
• There was a concern about complexity because of preconceived notions of technology. The response provided is that all these tools are developed to operate at the 5th grade level. It is just a matter of becoming aware of their existence and then using them when needed.
• Website changes based on external requests (emails, phone calls, verbal) are being tracked in the Communications and Trouble Reports Database.

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Thursday 03/13/2025 - Board Focused

Topics

1. Open discussions
2. Website overview (domain name, hosting company, content)
3. Setting up board and other email accounts
   1. IMAP vs POP accounts
   2. Board email account names
   3. Preferred internal board communications with website chair
   4. Webmail and computer mail and smartphone mail demo
4. Showing how files are transferred (demo)
5. Assistance if there is time
   1. Activate email accounts on smart phones and computers

Minutes

• The board attended the meeting absent one member who was away
  • While residents expressed interest in the web committee only three responded, but were unable to attend
• The concept of domain and web hosting was described
  • A history of domain name registration was provided and why the company we used was selected
    • They were the first
  • The reason for using 2 separate companies (Domain then Hosting) was provided
    • There have been attempts to claim domain names if web hosting companies are used to register domain names
    • This causes problems if there is a desire to change hosting companies - serious lawsuits
  • The domain name is property and it has value
    • The domain name, if it should be permitted to lapse, it will cost thousands to regain (not clearly mentioned at meeting)
• The email accounts will be functional
  • IMAP will be used for account setup so that the emails stay on the web hosting company server
    • If POP is used the emails are downloaded to the device defeating the goal of a general functional email approach
    • Security was discussed with leaving the emails on the web hosting company servers
  • Attendees accessed their email accounts using webmail
    • One member also successfully setup their email on their smartphone
  • There was a question about user name case sensitivity
    • It was verified after the meeting that the account names are not case sensitive
  • The President will continue to use their personal email for contacts associated with the website
  • After the meeting, the non functional email accounts were deleted
  • A request was made to send an email to the website chair to verify things are working
• There was a discussion of the transition strategy for website admin access
  • Website accounts and login information will be provided to the President as hardcopy
  • The accounts hardcopy needs to be locked up with other sensitive documents, preferably in the office with its additional lock
• There was a walk through of the website and discussion of some of the areas
  • History was provided that this site was developed in 2017 and updated with info from TownSq and Emails
  • There was extreme interest in the finance cost reasonableness analysis
  • The area showing the community pictures and houses was met with extreme excitement
  • All updates to the site will be performed by the website committee not by the community manager
    • This is the VGEM tool
    • Community manager has their tool
• The online Communications and Trouble Reports mechanism was demonstrated
  • The website will not replace the paper mechanisms as stated in the website policy
  • The website committee will manually synchronize paper forms with the online system
  • When residents submit an online request an email goes to the community manager, website chair, and to the resident making the request
  • The online reports should be presented at open session meetings just like Finance, Committees, Clubs, and now the suggestion is Quality
• At the conclusion of the meeting an attendee expressed interest in joining the website committe

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Future Meetings

Future Topics

• Installing and using key software. See downloads at: website support page
  • Web page authoring tool demo (AOLPRESS) - DONE
  • Image manipulation tool demo (IrfanView)
  • FTP setup and demo (Filezilla) - DONE
• Some possible activities:
  • Content
    • Photographer to capture pictures at events Splash Page
      • Setup a new photo gallery
    • Online Grande Gazette
    • Online Price Club / Vendor Contacts (scroll down)
    • Online Community Bulletin Board (scroll down)
  • Website operations and development
    • Update main page with new activities and announcements from TownSq and Volos - DONE
    • Update open session meeting minutes page - DONE
    • Update finance page - DONE
    • Update other pages - DONE
    • Remove redundant content (2017 baseline was updated with TownSq files, it's a mess) - DONE
    • Website next generation architecture (possible rollout next year)
  • Access and use the online database to communicate with the board, committees, and clubs - DONE
  • Update the online database as things are addressed (beyond green and brown forms) - DONE
  • Beyond static HTML pages
    • Software development (Perl)
      • Currently have a search engine
        • PDF to text for deep searches into PDF
        • PDF deep searches text saved to streamline future searches (go from 5 min to 10 sec)
        • Automated sitemap (to help remove redundant documents)
      • Currently have form database submissions
      • Currently have online database reporting / visualization
      • Currently have SSI custom logging, counter, and geo-location
      • Currently have random pictures with each load / reload
    • Can we add a dynamic calendar on website
    • Can we add a meetup function on website
  • Webhosting company access (see accounts links)
    • FTP access to website - DONE
    • FTP access to VGEM-Office area - DONE
    • Email admin - DONE
    • FTP admin - DONE
    • User access to cPanel
    • Super user access to cPanel
    • Study all the cPanel tools that are available and see what we might want to use (it's a massive place)
  • Network solutions access
    • Domain name maintenance
  • Getting Zoom up and running for open session meetings
  • Getting youtube up and running to store VGEM videos
  • Figure out archiving mechanisms on webhosting company and implement an archiving mechanism
  • Computer Internet access kiosks in clubhouse
    • Connected to clubhouse TVs
    • There are laptops, where are they, how are they used?
  • My replacement to Network solutions, webhosting company, and everything else in this adventure
• Walk through all the website places
  • All Links
    • splash page - DONE
    • entrance page - DONE
    • Resources - DONE
    • Run search site map
  • Discuss content - DONE
  • Discuss look and feel - DONE
  • Discuss need to restrict access - DONE
    • Current website convention is: mem typically needs access, lib is open always used to access document archives
  • Discuss website directory structure / conventions
• Other
  • Quality Improvement Documents and Checklists
  • Various Financial Analysis
  • Infrastructure Library
  • Search Engine Site Map demo (to scrub the site of duplicates)

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