39 Internet Services

De-Stress Your Architectural Committee

Having trouble getting volunteers for the Architectural Control Committee? Ever wonder why? In many associations this is the busiest committee, especially at this time of year! So many people get the home improvement bug and want to paint their houses, install a new fence or maybe add a new flower bed. Volunteers on the ACC Committee are inundated with requests for special favors and fast approvals.

All of this can lead to stress and inconsistencies in ACC approval decisions. Architectural committee members are forced to make split decisions at a once-per-month meeting, based only on the data presented in the proposal.

But what if there were a better way to do it? If ACC Committee members had an opportunity to review proposals, walk the properties, and ask questions before a meeting, not only would they feel less stressful about the process; meeting times could also be reduced by 50% or more.

Well, might we recommend exploring the use of Task Manager on the community web site. Task Manager is a great tool for the ACC Committee. Our clients who are using it just love it!

Here is how it works:

1. An architectural request gets entered into the web site by a designated committee member, and saved in the Task Manager area dedicated to the ACC Committee. Blueprints or site plans can be scanned and saved to the same location.
2. Each member of the ACC Committee is notified by email of new architectural requests and can go online to either read the brief description, or open the attachments to read the entire request and review proposed plans.
3. Each committee member can make comments or cast a vote for approval or denial. Once a majority consensus has been reached, the task is closed and the resident can be notified.
4. All closed requests remain on the web site, stored by property address for easy future reference by the committee.
5. When it comes time for the meeting, you can print a report of the architectural requests for that month. The detailed report even includes all notes and comments that have been made on each request, to document the decision making process.

We have seen demonstrable proof that by using the Task Manager in this capacity, ACC Committee members experience less stress, and are able to be more fair and consistent in their approval process. When the committee gets together for the official signing of the ACC requests, meetings are up to 50% shorter in length.

Task Manager is one of the many features which is included in the TOPS Community Web Site Service. Check out a sample of the Task Manager on the TOPS Community demo site at www.topswebsites.com or email websales@topssoft.com for more information.

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