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Citizens clicking on cob Webs
Outdated: Some towns' Internet sites can be a trip back
in time, not timely.
By Marion Callahan
Of The Morning Call
July 13, 2008
Want to check what's happening in your township or
borough?
Proceed with caution if you click on a municipal Web site -- you may be
looking at a historical document.
Go to Lower Nazareth's calendar, for example, and you'll see what's
happening -- in 2005. Portland's site lists as one of its councilmen
Leonard Bucci, who died in 2006. Lehighton posts public meetings from
2005, community events from 2007 and a ''new'' power substation project
''scheduled to go online some time in June of 2002.''
Most municipalities in the Lehigh Valley have up-to-date sites, posting
calendars, meeting minutes and links to recreation programs, tax
information and other services for residents. East Rockhill, for
example, dedicates a page where residents can provide feedback and
suggestions. Williams Township posted a question-and-answer feature to
circulate information about a controversial landfill issue. Emmaus has
a link that connects viewers to a webcast of its meetings.
Townships behind the curve blame a lack of manpower or money for their
dated sites. Lower Nazareth didn't have someone on staff with the
necessary expertise until recently. Lehighton's borough secretary,
Brenda Koons, who is expected to maintain the Web site, is still
learning how.
''This is a new endeavor for me; I've never done a Web site,'' said
Koons. ''Once I have the first update done and I become more familiar
with it, I hope to keep it updated constantly.''
Craig Fahnestock, director of information technology for the
Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors, said fewer than a
third of the state's more than 1,400 municipalities have Web sites.
More than 100 townships don't even have fax machines, Fahnestock said.
''Sometimes it's a matter of a township official who has a son or a
grandson who can put one up, but once they leave and go off to college,
no one is left to maintain it,'' he said. ''There isn't a norm when it
comes to Web sites; townships are basically on their own to decide how
to do it.''
Some township officials, however, see the Web sites as an obligation --
to get public information out to their residents, he said.
Lower Milford township manager Ellen L. Koplin said her township site
solicits e-mail addresses from residents who want alerts or updates
beyond what's offered on the Web site. Hilltown also offers ''alerts''
to township residents.
''We exist for the benefit of the residents. It's their township; they
have a right to know what's pending and how it will impact them,'' said
Koplin. ''You want to give the public as many opportunities to be
informed and know what's happening around their homes.''
She questions why some township Web sites are still online.
''To have a Web site and keep it outdated for so long gives the public
a bad impression,'' she said. ''It defeats the purpose of having one,
so you're better off not offering it.''
Jill Ercolino, assistant director of communications for the
Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, said townships
aren't required to have Web sites.
''Yes, it's useful to residents, but it comes down to whether townships
can afford it,'' she said.
Allentown took heat from residents earlier this year after its site
listed events that were two years old. Council members said the site
reflected poorly on the city, and in the following months, it was
updated.
The lack of information on Lower Nazareth's site has opened doors for
others to step in and fill in the blanks.
Frustrated by the lack of information provided at lowernazareth.com,
Lower Nazareth resident Joe Greene launched his own Web site,
lowernazareth.org. ''I knew there had to be a way to get information
out to people and make it easier for people to keep up,'' said Greene,
who started the site in November 2005. ''I remember going to the town's
Web site and there was nothing there -- no minutes, no agendas,
nothing.''
Greene said he expected the township would eventually update its site,
but it never happened.
''I shouldn't need to have a Web site,'' Greene said. ''The information
should be [made] readily available on the township Web site by the
government.''
Alan Dilsaver, chairman of the Lower Nazareth Board of Supervisors,
acknowledged the site needs an update. ''We always want to keep the
general public up to date with everything, so this is something we'll
have to address at a board meeting,'' he said.
Township manager Timm Tenges said plans are already under way to revamp
the site, which he expects will soon post meeting minutes, ordinances
and updates to the community calendar. Lower Nazareth is now training
one of its employees to manage the site.
''We recognize it's a valuable tool for our constituents; we're a
little slow in making that happen, but we're working on improving it.''
marion.callahan@mcall.com
610-559-2146
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