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Town staff reports: technology advisory board progress, records digitization issues and fire department updates
Summary
The technology advisory board reported multiple projects in progress and dependency on staff time to complete records digitization; the fire department said a new engine is in service, an old truck is listed for sale, and the SAFER grant was likely not awarded.
Several staff and board reports provided operational updates and next steps.
Technology and records: Bruce Larson, chair of the Technology Advisory Board, summarized a quarterly report listing eight projects (seven active, one deferred), work to support budget planning, and a dependency on limited staff availability. The board reported significant progress on a records-imaging project with a vendor (MCCI) and noted that roughly 40 boxes had been digitized with about 10 boxes remaining to review. Town Clerk Amber Brown said the vendor returned some scanned files for rework and that staff must import, verify naming conventions, metadata and filing before the documents go live; she described the current state as “no update” from the town’s side pending staff time to review imports.
Amber Brown emphasized that metadata/tagging and searchability (not just scanned image PDFs) determine whether records will be usable for staff and the public. The technology board and staff discussed possible next steps including sandbox testing and lunch-and-learn sessions to minimize staff time impact.
Fire department: Fire staff reported two operational items. An older fire truck has been listed for sale through national vendors with a listing price of $150,000 (staff said actual sale price may be lower and industry sellers typically take a 10% commission). The new fire engine entered service and responded to its first call after being used in the town’s Christmas parade. Regarding the SAFER grant for additional firefighter positions, staff said the town had not received formal denial but had been told awards were likely exhausted and planned to post job descriptions in January; they indicated they would reapply in future grant rounds if needed.
Direct quote: Bruce Larson said the technology advisory board’s goal is to deliver interim findings in time to inform the FY27 budget and that staff engagement is required for many assessments because the board cannot directly access town systems.
