“It’s part of our effort for open access and to provide information to residents,” said Town Manager Paul Cohen.
Common Cause, a group dedicated to citizen participation in an open, honest and accountable government, will recognize the town again this year with its Massachusetts E-Government Award.
Chelmsford is one of 117 localities to be honored at a State House ceremony Thursday, March 19, for posting what Common Cause considers six key documents online: the governing body’s agenda, the governing body’s minutes, budget information, the town’s bylaws, the Town Meeting warrant and Town Meeting results.
The town received the same honor last year.
“It’s time to bring local government into the 21st century,” Common Cause’s Executive Director Pam Wilmot wrote in a release about the award. “The Internet makes it easy and cost effective to facilitate public access and citizen engagement by posting these six key records.”
In Chelmsford, Trish Dzuris, executive assistant to the Town Manager’s office, posts most of the information on the Web site.
She said the Board of Selectmen agenda is online the Friday before a Monday night meeting.
Dzuris cannot say when minutes from a specific meeting would end up on the site because the board must approve minutes before they are made public.
“I usually try to get them up the next day,” she said. “But I definitely get them up within that week.”
With a click or two, Chelmsford residents can find out when to put out recyclables, pay a fee or tax and download a building permit.
Some things, however, still require a trip to the Town Office Building.
Current food service inspection notices are not part of the town’s Web site because of the costs involved, said Health Inspector Mark Masiello.
“We do all our inspections on paper,” said Masiello. “There are some towns that have switched to electronic inspections, but we still do everything on paper.”
Masiello said the town may convert to electronic reporting, but with the additional costs from equipment and training coupled with the current budgetary issues, he doesn’t expect that to happen soon.
In the meantime, health inspections remain public documents available to residents.
“If somebody wants to go to a restaurant but wants to check them out first, they can come into the office and ask for the inspection report,” said Masiello.
A personal visit is also required for a marriage license and to obtain copies of birth and death notices, said Town Clerk Betty Delaney.
Delaney said under Massachusetts’ law, a couple seeking a license to wed must sign for one in front of a representative from the clerk’s office.
The law also prevents birth and death certificates from being given out to anyone.
“Some of those records are impounded,” said Delaney. “People can come in here and ask for a copy, but if it’s impounded they have to prove to us they are allowed access to it.”
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Kevin Zimmerman
Quelle/Source: Wicked Local Chelmsford, 18.03.2009
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