Town’s website deemed safe, secure for documents

CORNWALL — At www.cornwallct.org visitors can find a user-friendly, information-rich, well-linked website. From zoning regulations to citizen profiles, it is comprehensive. It is not a town-run site, but an independent undertaking by a dedicated committee of volunteers. Its minimal cost is covered by the Cornwall Foundation. “We’re a .org, not a .gov,” committee member Norma Lake said.A number of committee members came to the June 6 Board of Selectmen meeting to seek support toward improving the site. The committee is continually working to “clean up” its various sections. Its business listings were the latest section to be revamped.But what they can’t control is cooperation from town boards and commissions, whose meeting agendas and minutes are posted as received. Those pages receive a fair amount of views for a relatively lengthy amount of time. The agenda/minutes section received nearly 9 percent of activity.Committee members say they are astounded by the numbers. Nev Dunn submitted a report of tracked activity for May. There were about 3,000 visits and more than 5,300 page views. It would seem to follow that with computer use reaching saturation levels, and people finding themselves busier than ever, government would go the route of being more accessible through technology. The interest is there, but in some cases, the posted information is very out-of-date. The committee has received complaints. “It’s our goal to expand the popular interest in democracy in this little town,” Lake said. “People are desperate for information about how our town is governed.”For anyone who composes agendas or meeting minutes on a computer, it is a simple matter of adding the website address to a list of email contacts. “It’s not a big deal to hit a button and send these things out,” First Selectman Gordon Ridgway said, adding that the board is always grateful for the work the committee does.So what’s the problem?In a discussion between the board and committee, it was surmised some are simply not in the habit.Selectmen’s Secretary and Board Clerk Joyce Hart said a hard copy of minutes is required to be filed with the town clerk, usually within 72 hours of a meeting. She said some are reluctant to send digital files to the website for fear they could be altered online. Others believe they should wait until minutes have been approved at a future meeting.Dunn said document files are changed to PDF or html files before posting, which protects them from changes.As for versions of minutes, those documents cannot be legally changed once presented at a meeting. Any corrections or other changes are noted in the minutes of the meeting at which the prior minutes were approved. No one goes back into Town Hall to change the filed minutes, and what is posted online should be identical.The website can also be updated quickly to reflect last-minute special meetings and canceled meetings and events.The selectmen agreed to send letters to boards and commissions to remind and encourage them to send website submissions early and often.In the first five months of 2011, there was a wide disparity, according to numbers submitted by the committee. The selectmen sent 32, the Board of Education sent 20, Inland Wetlands and Conservation submitted 12, Planning and Zoning sent nine and the Board of Finance sent one.