Web Committee Meeting Minutes

May 5, 2003

Meeting opened at 7:10 PM

Members Present: Chairman Fred Steinberg, Ralph Armstrong, Paul Vlach, Janis Gray, Leslie Bracebridge, recording for Secretary Keith Dragon who arrived after the meeting began.

Minutes of the February 5, 2003 meeting were accepted as written.

1. Discussion of what the Committee deems appropriate for the official town website included:

· Ralph presented guidance he received at the January 2003 annual Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) convention. He summarized that shutesbury.org links to other government sites are appropriate. The town opens itself up for a lawsuit by providing links to private sites.

· Paul - shutesbury.org is a community based forum. 99% of the time links will be for the right reasons. The purpose of the site is to increase communication within the town. It is unreasonable to deny links that offer good information to the town.

· Ralph - The MMA information presents the "worst case scenario." How do we determine what is a reasonable link?

· Paul - The web policy provides guidelines.

· Committee members will review the policy for the next meeting to decide if the guidelines can be realistically applied.

· Paul - There are appropriate disclaimers on the website warning people when they link to another site that the town does not have control over private sites. Such disclaimers make the MMA guidelines "remote and moot." "The medium is self-regulating and it is appropriate for the town to offer potential resources to residents."

· Ralph - The Committee should "think outside the box." Shutesbury.org is a way to bring information to people right in their homes. "The last thing I'd want to do is censor information." Suggested the discussion be tabled until the members have reviewed the policy guidelines.

· Leslie - Concerned with deviation from the MMA guidelines, asked that the review take place at the August meeting.

· Paul - Already discussed at previous meetings. Objects to discussing the same thing at every meeting.

· Leslie - This topic will probably be revisited again and again as the technology develops and legal precedents are made.

· Paul -Afraid to see what the site will deteriorate to with over-regulation. Practically, what we do with website has to be different than what needs to be done with public records.

2. Process for approving topics for "bulk email" announcements:

· Currently bulk email needs to be approved by David Ames. This slows down the process if he is out of his office. Some messages are of an urgent nature: ex. cancel Easter Egg hunt due to weather.

· Fred should be able to make decisions on announcements and only refer to David if he needs a second opinion.

· A disclaimer could be put at the top of each announcement.

· Committee members reached consensus that Ralph should bring committee's recommendation for change to the next meeting.

3. The townclerk@shutesbury.org continues to get repeated failed addresses when bulk announcements go out.

· Fred does not delete them because failed addresses is sometimes a temporary condition.

4. http://shutesbury-ma.gov is now reserved for the Town of Shutesbury so it cannot be used by private citizens attempting to represent the official town site.

Meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Leslie Bracebridge