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Select Board discusses town email addresses for committee members amid Right-to-Know concerns
Summary
The board discussed which committee members should receive town email addresses, vendor cost estimates and the public-records implications under RSA 91-A; staff were asked to survey committee chairs to identify who must have town email accounts.
The Kingston Select Board held an extended discussion about whether the town should provide municipal email addresses to committee members, weighing vendor costs and the public-records implications of committee business conducted in personal email accounts under RSA 91-A.
Board members reviewed input that Microsoft 365 Business licenses can cost about $6 per user per month and that other vendor estimates ranged from $2 to $4 per user per month for basic addresses. The board heard that if committee members conduct town business in personal email accounts, those accounts can be subject to public-records requests under RSA 91-A.
Why it matters: Using personal email for town business can subject private accounts to disclosure in public-records requests. Board members said the town must balance cost and security with legal exposure and operational convenience.
Discussion points included whether every committee member needs a unique town address or whether a single committee email (for example, heritagecommission@kingston.nh) could be used and administered by the chair. One board member warned that multiple people sharing one account is a poor IT-security practice. A vendor (Block 5) and staff were cited in the discussion as providing the cost estimates and technical context.
The board directed staff to prepare a letter to committee chairs asking them to identify which members absolutely must have town email accounts to meet RSA 91-A obligations and to provide an estimate of required addresses. A board member said the town should compile a list of existing addresses, remove unused accounts, and then decide which committees require unique accounts (budget committee, planning/zoning chairs were noted as likely candidates).
No formal vote was taken. The board instructed staff to return with a list of committees, costs and a recommendation on who should receive town email accounts; staff also was asked to clarify pricing and to minimize the town's total monthly cost by limiting accounts to essential users.
What's next: Staff will send a request to committee chairs, inventory current town addresses, confirm vendor pricing and propose a minimal set of accounts to satisfy legal and operational needs.
