Recreation Commission Plans New Website

Assistant Recreation Director Matt Chin summed up the department's online experience at the Aug. 2 Recreation Commission meeting: "Basically, our website's boring and it's very generic."

Chin set up a projector connected to the office computer at the Warren Building at 90 Washington St. and showed Commission members a series of recreation department websites with elements they could cherry pick when asking Vermont Systems, Inc., to redo their site.

The group looked at the Harrisonville, MO Parks and Recreation website, and the Sioux Falls, Iowa Parks and Recreation Department website, among others. "This is actually one we really liked a lot," said Chin, indicating the Sioux Falls site.

The website's layout isn't its only problem, however. It's also a hassle to register for programs on the site, because it requires a verified user name and password to keep non-residents from signing up ahead of residents. It's more secure that way, said Mark Antonelli, vice chairman of the Commission, but it also adds a day of waiting time between signing up and registering. "I would like to make it as simple as possible," he said.

After a little discussion, Commission members decided to open up registration, giving priority to residents, and establishing a policy that if a non-resident signed up as a resident, they would forfeit their registration, with the next resident in the queue given the space.

"You lie, you're gone," said Commissioner Jim Conlin.

Chin said he would ask Vermont Systems for a quote on a redesign of the website.