UPDATE AS TO THE SLNC WEBSITE 6/2/10

BACKGROUND:  In July of 2009, after agreement by the Board that the current website was very very hard to use, the Outreach Committee began an RFP process (request for proposals) to find a company who'd be willing to design a new website for us.  We surveyed the Board and Committee Chairs tofind out what they thought a good website would contain and how it could be used.  From this info, I, Ronald Van Ammers, and Tenaya Wallace, created the RFP.  After discussing it with DONE, I sent out the RFP by email to local people who were known by members of the Board and posted it around the neighborhood.  It was also posted on our website as an alert, asking anyone who was interested to submit a bid.

Ron and I interviewed the bidders at length. In the end, Dice Media's bid ($10,00) seemed best.  It was not the highest bid ($25,000) nor the lowest ($6,000) but to us it presented the most universally USABLE site, which was a prime requisite.

The Board voted to accept that bid in November of 2009.  DONE created a contract.  Then the City's fiscal crisis really got underway.  While still trying to keep the current website up to date, I began to pilot the contract through the various necessary bureaucratic hurdles.  Dice media submitted every document the City discovered, from time to time, it still needed.  I submitted, as requested,  a "demand warrant" and all the documentation required by that process.  Meanwhile, DONE was undergoing its own problems, the people there, with whom I was dealing, got laid off.  Documents were lost.

TODAY:  I have called DONE on almost a weekly basis.  Today I spoke to the woman at DONE who was the last to see the contract.  It is being reviewed by CAO (not sure what that is) which, I've heard can take a very long time.  After that it must go to the Controller and then back to CAO and then to the current Mayor, whoever that may if and when all this finally happens.  Meanwhile, my latest and best contact at DONE (Mike Vitkievich) will be leaving this Friday.

Meanwhile, Leonardo found a fellow who might be able to deal with our current website.  I contacted him and after he examined the site in detail, he said that would NOT want to deal with it.  He said that it looked as if it had been sabotaged.  This is something I'd come to believe, myself, while I've struggled with it.  He has created easy to use sites for quite a number of local Neighborhood Councils and says he could create a new one for us for $2000.00.  DONE has told me that they can approve a payment fairly quickly for up to $2500.  But it must be done before the end of the fiscal year.

I took it upon myself to call DICE Media which has been so very patient and asked them whether they would agree to cancel our contract.  They were fine with it and said that if we need for them to sign something saying they won't sue us, they'd be glad to do it.

I propose we hire this new guy, Aaron Devandry (based on his work for other Neighborhood Councils) to build us a usable website using a new web host with new mailing options.   I urge you to discuss this possibility and adopt it ASAP. 

I, myself, am unwilling to continue working on our current (broken) website, but I'll do so for two more months if things remain as they are.  I'd be glad to train somebody to do what I've been doing, but I really believe that Aaron may be our best bet.

I would work with the current website and with Aaron for up to six months, if the Board decides to hire him.

Laurie Pepper

Co-Chair, Outreach Committee

Website Division.