Goal #1: Improving Communication

How We Can Improve Communication in Big Canoe.

Good communities run on clear communication. When information is easy to access, tailored to the audience, and open to feedback, trust grows—and problems shrink.

One of the Board’s stated goals is to improve communication.

Here are nine specific, realistic ways the POA can improve communication with property owners. None of these require massive investment—just better systems and a willingness to listen.

1. Fix the Email Problem with Segmentation

Right now, Big Canoe’s email system is all-or-nothing. You either receive every email or you unsubscribe and lose access to emergency alerts and important POA updates. That’s not just frustrating—it may violate the CAN-SPAM Act, which requires a way to opt out of marketing emails without losing access to transactional ones.

We can do better.

With proper email segmentation, property owners could choose the types of messages they want to receive:

Amenity-specific updates (Golf, Wellness, Marina, etc.)
Neighborhood-specific notices
Community-wide alerts
Event invitations
Board announcements

This would reduce email fatigue and improve engagement.

2. Livestream, Record, and Transcribe All POA Meetings

If a grandmother on a boat in the Caribbean—or a soldier in a war zone—can livestream from their cellphone, there’s no reason the POA can’t livestream a meeting from the comfort of Big Canoe.

We have the resources. We spent $80,000 on a wine room. The cost of livestreaming equipment is a fraction of that—and would serve a much broader purpose.

Every Board meeting, committee meeting, and public workshop should be:

Livestreamed
Recorded
Transcribed
Archived in one easy-to-access place

Transparency builds trust. Access builds engagement.

3. Host Monthly Community Feedback Forums

We don’t need more top-down presentations. We need more dialogue.

Once a month, the POA should hold an open feedback forum—live and virtual—where residents can ask questions, share concerns, and speak directly with Board members and department heads.

These forums:

Should be livestreamed, recorded, and transcribed
Are not presentations—they are listening sessions
Give residents a chance to speak, and leaders a chance to listen

4. Let Board Members Hold Office Hours

This is easy and free. I already do it. You can book a time with me here.

Each Board member could make a few time slots available each week or month for:

Quick phone calls
In-person chats
Zoom check-ins

No fancy tech or big budgets required—just an open calendar and a willingness to listen.

5. Publish the Raw Survey Data

When the POA commissions surveys, we usually get consultant summaries or filtered conclusions. But we rarely see the actual data. Let’s fix that.

Every community survey should be published in full, including:

The raw, anonymized data
The consultant’s interpretation
Any Board or POA staff commentary

Let the residents draw their own conclusions.

6. Turn Ask the POA into a Public FAQ

Over the years, residents have submitted tens of thousands of questions through the Ask the POA system. It’s highly likely that many of those are repetitive and commonly asked.

Why not turn that into something useful?

Create a searchable FAQ using the most common questions and answers
Extra credit: Put the data into ChatGPT (or a similar tool) and offer a chatbot for instant answers

This could significantly reduce the burden on staff while giving residents 24/7 access to trusted information.

7. Create a “Behind the Scenes” Video Series

Short, 2–3 minute videos can:

Introduce staff and departments (e.g. Public Works, Wellness)
Explain how dues are used
Offer brief updates from Board members

These videos make the POA more transparent and relatable while educating residents on how things work.

8. Launch an Interactive Budget Dashboard

Instead of uploading static PDFs, the POA should publish an interactive budget dashboard where residents can:

See where money is going in real time
Click into categories to explore individual expenses
Track project budgets and overruns

Simple visual tools make financial transparency accessible to all residents, not just accountants. This could done with tools like Power BI (Microsoft), Tableau, Fathom, LivePlan, Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio), Jet Reports (for Microsoft Dynamics), and others.

This is one area where my extensive background in software design, usability, and integrations would be useful.

9. Allow Public Comment Periods on Major Decisions

Before implementing big changes—like raising amenity prices or changing policies—the POA should introduce a short comment window (7–10 days) where residents can:

Read a clear explanation of the proposal
Submit feedback via form or email
See a summary of public input once a final decision is made

This creates transparency before decisions are finalized—not just after the fact.

Better Communication = Better Community

None of this is hard. None of it is radical. These are practical steps any well-managed organization can—and should—take to keep people informed and engaged.

We have the talent. We have the tools. Now we just need the will.

Let’s raise the standard.

Thank you for reading my platform. I hope you found it informative and helpful in understanding my vision for our community.

Have a question or something to say? Send me an email: jcfortheboard@gmail.com

Prefer to talk? Book a time with me.

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J Cornelius — Candidate for the POA Board
jcornelius.com/poa

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead