Board of Health plans records move, shredding and intern duties as town files relocate

The Town of Hubbardston Board of Health discussed May 14 a plan to move septic records into new storage space, thin duplicate files and nonessential paperwork, and use a student intern to help scan and organize the remaining records.

Staff told the board they have state approval to discard certain duplicate records and that large engineering plans and historical maps would be retained. A shredding company is tentatively scheduled to visit around July 14 to destroy files the board agrees are unnecessary; staff said all large plans that the town deems significant will be kept.

Intern role and scanning Board members introduced Victor, the student intern, and described an orientation and workflow that will include about 15–20 hours per week of scanning existing records into Laserfiche, then helping to thin the paper files once retention decisions are finalized. “There’s an orientation for all new town interns… approximately an hour to an hour and a half,” staff told the board, and then work on scanning and later thinning will follow.

Why it matters Board members said scanned records will improve access and that preserving large-format engineering plans and historical maps is important for property transfers and long-term records. The board asked staff to identify specific days for volunteers and members to review cabinets and agreed to retain maps that date back decades.

Next steps Staff will coordinate with the intern, arrange the shredding date after confirming what is to be destroyed, and select the specific cabinets that will move to the second-floor storage space at 48 Garner. Board members will schedule a session to review files together before shredding begins.

Ending Work on digitizing and thinning records will continue through the summer; staff will report back on exact shredding and transfer dates.