It is no secret that the Town of Rochester website is a bit outdated when it comes to user-friendliness and accessibility of up-to-date information. Even some applicants for special permits and variances with the ZBA have received incorrect information from the website, said ZBA member Kirby Gilmore, which affects the efficiency of the application process.
But with a special fall town meeting in the sights of Town Hall administration, hopefully that will soon change with an article to request the funding to renovate the website and make anything from looking up meetings and events on calendars to checking local bylaws, even paying tax bills online, a reality for Rochester residents.
Town Administrator Michael McCue told the Rochester Board of Selectmen on September 14 that he intends to prepare an article requesting $7,000 to upgrade to the Virtual Town Hall model that surrounding towns, including Marion and Mattapoisett, currently use.
The topic had been one for discussion in the recent past, with selectmen wondering if anyone at Town Hall could possibly make occasional updates to the website, which McCue now determined is unfeasible.
“As it turns out, the website is actually, oddly enough, written in HTML,” said McCue. “It is not necessarily a user-friendly program.”
If upgraded to the Virtual Town Hall, McCue said he could manage the website, as well as the new administrative assistant.
“Any iPhone that we wanted to authorize could run it,” said McCue. “It’s pretty much plug and play.”
Currently the Town spends $250 per month for the current website service, with hourly rates for website updates and changes. McCue said, because of this, it is harder to make updated postings, which is predominantly why the Town does not.
“I think it would bring the town into the 21st century,” said McCue.
McCue said the Town might also seek to add an article that would change the annual town meeting quorum of 100 back to 75, after the last annual town meeting took place without a quorum, unbeknownst to the town moderator or town clerk.
Also during the meeting, Board of Selectmen Chairman Richard Nunes, along with appointing authorities Town Moderator Kirby Gilmore and Finance Committee Chairman Kris Stoltenberg, appointed several applicants to the Personnel Board, including David Arancio, member of the ZBA, to serve as a non-voting town board representative member. The Personnel Board is now filled again.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for September 21 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
By Jean Perry
