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Planning board seeks funding to digitize zoning bylaws with General Code software
Summary
The Millis Planning Board requested that the select board encourage submission of a $16,500 General Code software purchase to the capital planning process; the software would digitize zoning bylaws, general bylaws and the Home Rule Charter to improve transparency and reduce legal risk.
Members of the Millis Planning Board told the select board they want to buy General Code software to digitize the town’s zoning bylaws, general bylaws and Home Rule Charter.
Jim McKay and Nicole Riley, representing the planning board, said the package would cost $16,500 for initial digitization of the three documents, with an annual maintenance fee of $1,195. Riley said the board has been reviewing the zoning bylaw — a document of more than 220 pages — and that the current Word-format file dates to an older version of Microsoft Word that makes editing cumbersome.
Riley said digitizing the bylaws would improve public access and reduce the risk of legal disputes created by formatting errors or typographical inconsistencies. She gave an example of a prior capitalization error affecting interpretation of a provision and said a lawsuit over a bylaw mistake could cost the town an estimated minimum of $20,000 in legal fees.
Board position and next steps: The planning board sought the select board’s encouragement to submit the $16,500 request to the capital planning committee (or to the select board if the project falls below the committee’s threshold). The select board members on the dais voiced support but said they preferred the planning board follow the usual channel of submitting the request to capital planning for review. The IT director (not present but referenced) had indicated support for the annual maintenance fee to be paid from the IT department budget.
Why it matters: Digitizing bylaws aims to make regulations easier for residents and builders to search and interpret, reduce staff time spent reformatting printed materials, and lower the town’s legal exposure from ambiguous wording.
Ending: Planning board representatives said they will proceed to submit the funding request through the capital planning process and return with final recommendations on scope and timing. Select board members encouraged them to proceed and indicated the board would review the request after capital planning consideration.
