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Interlaken council adopts resolution to comply with state data-privacy law, appoints officers
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Summary
The Interlaken Town Council on Oct. 8 approved a resolution to meet requirements of the Government Data Privacy Act, including designating officers and steps to bring the town website and third-party vendors into compliance.
The Interlaken Town Council voted Wednesday to adopt a resolution intended to bring the town into compliance with the state Government Data Privacy Act and to designate local officers responsible for records and data privacy.
Town staff reported the compliance push followed a notice that "our website was not in compliance with the state's privacy policy," and that downloadable forms leading to emailed submissions count as data collection under the Act. "They download the form from the website," a staff member said, adding that the town must present a privacy policy and notify users whenever they fill out or download a form.
During discussion staff said the Office of Data Privacy (represented in guidance by Brian Nelson) had spent nearly 40 minutes on a Zoom call reviewing requirements and suggested practical steps, including placing QR codes on paper forms linking directly to the town's privacy policy. The council also discussed confirming privacy practices with SmartPay, the town's third-party water-billing vendor, and removing unnecessary sensitive fields from online and downloadable forms (for example, driver's license numbers and Social Security numbers).
The resolution presented to the council directs the town to appoint a chief administrative officer and a records officer to meet statutory duties and to ensure the training and administrative steps required by the Act are completed. A council member moved and a second was recorded; the chair called for the voice vote and members signaled approval. Staff noted a date correction needed on the resolution form before final filing.
Council members said they expect to complete the work promptly; staff estimated local changes and coordination with vendors could be completed by the end of the month. The council did not record a roll-call tally in the minutes beyond the rising 'Aye' votes called by the chair.
The resolution text and related procedures will be updated and filed with the appropriate state office as required by law. The council also discussed a related training requirement: council members and designated officers must view a state training video on data privacy.