Select‑board representative and staff discuss short‑ and long‑term steps to digitize planning records

The Readfield Planning Board held an extended discussion with Jiren, a select‑board representative, about improving public access to planning applications and records.

Jiren recommended short‑term fixes that could be implemented quickly — a shared drive or Google Workspace folder that aggregates each application’s documents, a docketing or agenda‑item numbering system tied to map/lot identifiers, and a commentary/versioning workflow the board could use during meetings. “You could very easily get all new applications coming in accessible on the website to the board to the public,” Jiren said, and he suggested using workspace tools so board members could edit and view the same document live.

Staff and board members discussed longer‑term options such as procuring a modern vendor or cloud‑based planning suite, and they acknowledged the cost and time required to digitize decades of paper records stored in town files. Staff raised security concerns based on a separate hijacking incident at another town that prompted redaction discussions for some attachments; board members also noted that map/lot identifiers are more stable than owner names and could be a useful anchor for a search and docketing system.

Jiren offered to meet with town administrator Eric to scope short‑term improvements and return with an implementation plan. Staff said recent applications have been uploaded to the website and that an Excel‑based docketing document exists, but that more structured, searchable presentation for the public will require either a short‑term workflow change or a long‑term vendor implementation. No formal vote was required; the board and staff agreed to pursue Jiren’s short‑term suggestions and to evaluate the budget and vendor options.