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Watertown council backs petition to let cities publish legal notices online, sparking debate over website reliability
Summary
The council voted to request special legislation allowing electronic publication of legal notices—potentially reducing costly print ads—after staff argued it would improve notice reach. Councilors questioned criteria for qualifying websites, the city’s responsibility for errors and implications for local journalism.
Watertown City Council voted Nov. 26 to request special legislation that would allow the city to satisfy certain legal-notice publication requirements through electronic publication, including local news websites and the city’s own site.
City Manager argued the change could save the city substantial money in legal-ad costs and better reach residents. “Posting something on page 65 of the print edition of the Saturday Boston Globe isn’t exactly the thing that is causing people to become most likely aware of what’s going on in Watertown,” he said, while noting the proposal cannot guarantee passage in the Legislature.
The nut graf: Supporters said the resolution would reduce repeated, expensive print advertising with…
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