Planning board asks FinCom to fund $16,500 to move zoning bylaws into searchable Ecode360 system

The Millis Planning Board asked the Finance Committee on Sept. 24 to support a contract with General Code/Ecode360 to convert the town’s bylaws and zoning code into a searchable, hosted format.

A Planning Board member who presented the request said the firm would transcribe the current zoning and general bylaws, accept liability for transcription accuracy, and host the result in a cloud-based, searchable format. The one-time setup fee discussed at the meeting was $16,500; the presenter said the annual subscription cost would be $1,001.95 and that the town administrator believed the subscription could be absorbed in his budget.

“The best the biggest thing that we’re looking for is for any layman…that this software will have a search engine,” the presenter said, summarizing committee discussion about the need for accurate, timely access to bylaws.

Planning Board members and committee members questioned technical and liability aspects, including whether the product is the only tested option in Massachusetts, the limits of the vendor’s insurance and indemnity, and how the vendor’s collaborative-editing tools would interact with town processes. Attendees said General Code has substantial municipal experience and representation at state conferences; the Planning Board said it will route any contract through town counsel to review insurance and liability limits before signature.

Presenters said the conversion work would reduce the legal risk linked to delayed or inaccurate online bylaws and would make future bylaw amendments searchable immediately after they are posted. The committee did not take a formal vote during the meeting; presenters will provide capital committee materials and contract details for further review and town meeting scheduling.