Cayuga Lake Watershed Network
Doc. #2007-19
Joint Meeting of Outreach Committee and Membership/PR Committee at Julie Patterson's Home
March 11, 2006, 10:00 am

Present: Sharon Anderson, Julie Patterson, Roxy Johnston, Mary Seitz, Kevin Zippell, Judy Pipher

To begin the meeting to discuss our website reorganization, Sharon passed out the old organizational plan, and a revised version of a website reorganization plan discussed in 2003. She also brought documents detailing effective websites for non-profits.

A few items were raised early: the lack of Kid’s stuff on the website, and the possibility that a press packet be posted online (the MC/PRC has as part of their 2007 work plan the creation of a press packet ). Mary asked whether the current stakeholder survey asked any questions about the website other than generic ones, and suggested that more specific questions be included next time. People responded to the website questions on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

• Personal relevance ranked the lowest with more than 1/3 of the selection being 3, and 2/3 ranked this aspect 4 or 5.
• The other questions were rated in the 4 to 5 range
• The only comment written in was -- Layout attractive, but not functional. Need more history about lake.

Need one button – a map giving facts concerning water quality (Roxy’s suggestion)

We then briefly reviewed our March 1 joint telecon. The point was made that we need links touting Ithaca as the #2 green city (http://www.countryhome.com/greencities/top25.html) and to the National Geographic which featured the Finger Lakes in the most recent issue.

The discussion then turned to guiding principles for the website construction. Kevin advocated nested documents. (The pyramid principle). Roxy suggested a linkable map of the watershed where water quality and factual statements concerning specific areas could be tabbed.

A master hardcopy of final decisions was kept, so this document will only refer to decisions without referring to final placement on the web page.

Tabs at top of each page will be changed. The new tabs are: Who We Are; What’s New; What You Can Do; Cayuga Lake Watershed; Resources; Contact Us.

Below is a rough guide as to where things may be placed as sub-headers. To keep with Kevin’s nesting, there should also be sub-sub headers associated with the tabs. Many topics will be linked to other tabs than their main tab.

Who we are
BoD etc.
Mission statement
Office hours, phone number (Linked to contact us )
Publications (issues pub) - link to resources

What is the current state of the watershed
What’s being done

What's new (news and events)

What can you do
Membership
Volunteering

Cayuga Lake Watershed - predominantly static site not dynamic
Paragraph what watershed is, discussion of important things linked (e.g. protection plan and issues pub)
Lake (under that lake levels, Marinas)
Land
Tributaries (Fall Creek, Six Mile Creek, Streams with “link to canal”, Canal (hydropower website??)
Gallery, maps (under resources - a sentence link)

Contact us – furthest right hand tab (all the stuff on RHS of web page currently)

The Home Page will include a link to “Past Events ” (previously “Did you miss? On Events)

What’s New? News and Events - to be combined and no longer separated.
Annual events – sub-tabs leading to sub-tabs

Resources
Publications (mostly under specific categories – but RPP and Characterization and Issue in the Cayuga Lake Watershed are general and really important so main emphasis here – but link from who we are)
Categories:
WQ Issues - Invasive species
- Weeds
- Pollutants (sediment, phosphorus)
- Runoff (=stormwater)
Lake Levels (hydro-power and gage links)
Agencies (include intermunicipal org,)
Watershed Research (linked under the lake, the stream etc.)
Fishing
K-12 - include essay contest – Cortland City water festivals, link Chesapeake Bay stuff for kids

Gallery, maps under CLW but linked by a sentence

What should go on home page

Search function only at home page, eliminate go
Right Hand Side of the page – only See also (e.g. smart steps)

Instead of the "Water -- essential for life" statement at top highlight some important upcoming event or bit of news.

Put mission statement there on right hand side instead of contact information

Add Spring 2007 on "What’s New" bar and change with the seasons

Donate button under “What can you do” – Mary will look into a paypal account and possibility to pursue membership online, Sharon will bring up with Board

Need to contact counties to find out when hazardous waste pickup days occur: if yearly at same approximate time, could have annual status on website

Submitted by Judy Pipher