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Select Board tables decision on Catalyst online payments pending staff briefing
Summary
The Select Board reviewed a proposal for Catalyst, an online municipal payments platform, and raised questions about transaction fees (material quoted at 2.95% per card transaction plus $1.50 for e-check), who would absorb fees, likely uptake in a small town, and vendor suitability; members tabled the decision until the staff member who researched options is available.
Select Board members reviewed materials for Catalyst, a municipal online-payment vendor the town used ARPA funds to implement, and questioned whether implementing card payments makes sense for Weybridge. One board member read fees cited in the packet: "it says 2.95% per transaction, which is very standard across the board," and asked whether the town or the payer would absorb those costs and how many residents would use the service.
Members asked for clearer cost comparisons and vendor research and agreed to table the decision until Bill (the staff member who had done the vendor review) can be present to answer questions about implementation costs, who pays fees, and whether the platform is appropriate for a small town. The board recorded concerns about vendor longevity and whether multiple vendors were considered; the motion to table preserves time for a fuller staff briefing before committing to a new payment channel.
