Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1465327
10 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MAY 2022 | Some time ago, the District Delegates were given a survey to pass out to their residents. The survey was formed by a committee of Delegates, with Bob Albaugh as Chairman. The committee members were Dennis Cisterna, District 3, Delores Daugherty, District 4, and Raynell English, District 16. The survey aimed to assess communication efforts of our entire community and determine how residents received Sun Lakes news. There are a number of communications outlets in our complex: SLCC Website, Channel 97, Lifestyles Magazine, District Newsletters, Facebook, and eBlasts. Channel 97 offers Good Day Sun Lakers and other programs. There are a lot of communication methods to inform our residents of the community events and news. However, we often hear the complaint, "Nobody is telling us what is going on!" Why is this? The resident simply may not be paying attention to news they receive or information sources are not telling the whole story. As in the past, it's probably a little of both. There are residents who simply look at Sun Lakes as a place to live and don't participate in the community. There are others who "know" what we are being told is wrong because they believe something different. They should participate in solving problems, but instead they'd rather Monday morning quarterback. There are others who believe we are not being told enough. They forget that the reason we elect a Board of Directors is to handle the everyday affairs for us. In the past, we had Boards who kept many actions to themselves, some of which should have been public information. That hasn't happened for 15 or 20 years. Today, perhaps some current information relayed to residents isn't complete and the whole story should have been told. I believe that we need a news broadcast at least once a week. It should be presented by a Board member, as a Public Information Officer, (PIO). It should not be interviews, nor explanations of rules or codes, but just plain news as to what is happening in our community. Tell the residents if there was a break-in, or an accident, or a contract signed, or someone new or someone left in the Administration office. Tell us when road work is being done, an upcoming project in common areas, or what is being done in our clubhouses. There are cities and towns across the United States smaller than we are who have news broadcasts all day long about what is happening in their community - what do we have? Out of 3,327 homes in our complex, we received 567 survey from our residents. It gives us a very disappointing 17 percent return. Is this an example of our residents not caring what happens at Sun Lakes or were not all of our residents contacted? Here are the results of our survey: 92 percent have smartphones or computers but only 58 percent are registered with the SLCC website; the main source in information is Lifestyles at 53 percent and District Newsletters at 49 percent. Summary of the Committee: a large number of residents are not registered with the SLCC website and Lifestyles Magazine and the District Newsletter are the primary source of information but they are published only once a month. DISTRICT DELEGATE ASSEMBLY REPORT NEWS NEEDS TO BE CONVEYED IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER By Joe Formino, Chairman, District Delegate Assembly