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Dalton Select Board approves $1,000 online voter‑registration module and authorizes building committee spending cap
Summary
At a working session the Dalton Select Board approved a one‑time $1,000 purchase to add an online voter‑registration module to the town clerk’s software and authorized the building committee to spend up to $1,000 per project with a $5,000 cap before returning to the board.
The Dalton Select Board voted to authorize a one‑time $1,000 purchase from Avatar to add an online voter‑registration module to the town clerk’s software, and approved a spending threshold for the building committee to accelerate repairs.
Clerk reported the Avatar module is a one‑time $1,000 fee and said they had completed state training and approvals but were only recently told of the added cost. “It is a one time, one time,” the Clerk said, noting the town could earn some registration revenue over time. Chair moved to sign the software purchase and installation agreement with Avatar; the motion passed with aye votes recorded.
Why it matters: the software aims to make voter registration and related services more convenient for residents and could create a modest new revenue stream for the town, while the building committee authorization is intended to speed routine repairs without delaying volunteer work for small purchases.
On the building committee authorization, members reviewed prior practice of approving per‑project thresholds to allow volunteers to buy supplies and complete small repairs. Chair made a motion to allow the building committee to spend up to $1,000 on each project, with the board setting a $5,000 aggregate cap before additional authorization is required; the motion was seconded and the board approved it.
Clerk and members discussed examples of projects that would use the funds, from painting and pressure washing to larger items such as a custom kitchen door or gym doors that require a contractor. The board said anything above the per‑project threshold should be brought back for approval.
The meeting also recorded four excavation intents to be signed and included a brief nonpublic legal session; after returning the board voted to seal the nonpublic minutes.
What’s next: the clerk will complete the Avatar agreement paperwork and the building committee will continue to report completed projects and costs to the board at regular meetings.
