DRAFT

Present: J Tasse, Chairman, M. Schorr, P. St. John, T. Aabo, S. Verola - Town Board liaison

Absent: G. Eggleston                 

Invited Guest: John Kelley

1. The minutes of the 5-17-05 meeting were corrected and then approved.
2. Old Business: the status of the computer inventory is unknown. Eggleston not present.

3.   John Kelley, the webmaster for the Charlton website, was invited to our meeting to discuss how to make the website interactive so Town forms could be submitted electronically. Forms can currently be downloaded, but must then be printed and submitted in hard copy. Kelley said that forms could be brought up on the computer screen, filled out on-screen, submitted electronically and time stamped when submitted. It could either be saved to a database or submitted as an e-mail. The format for a database would depend on who will print it out and use it.  If costs are involved it would require obtaining a merchant account to cover the cost. Kelley donates his time unless he incurs an expense. We should have all Town departments e-mail Kelley the forms they use and then, if they want them to be capable of electronic submittal, he will have the forms put on the website. Sandy Verola will ask Gail Hanchar to send a memo to all departments and committees asking for the forms they use.

a. We could make electronic storage of the archived documents on the second floor of the Town Hall part of the Technology Plan.

b. We should e-mail our meeting minutes to Kelley for posting on the Town website. The e-government Committee is looking at doing this with a content management system where minutes would be submitted to this system. 

c. A suggestion was made that it would be good if the Town website could have a place for posting pictures of missing pets. Kelley said that it could be done. Sandy Verola will get this approved.

d. In developing a Town Technology Plan it should indicate how often to replace computers. Kelley’s opinion is that it varies, but for office use a computer should last five years. The Town should consider using RAID, redundant array of discs, for critical info backup. We want all computers to be the same brand and use the same software as much as practical (not everyone requires the use of the same software).

            e. A backup strategy for every Town computer should be part of the Tech Plan.

f. Kelley recommends a smart UPS in combination with surge protection (APC brand) for all computers. A used UPS cost about $50 – $200 and provides about one hour backup. The safest backup is a second hard drive in each computer, but a CD burner is recommended for backup for now. We should consider surge protection for the entire building in the new Town Hall   

4.   Agenda item – the Highway Superintendent has requested software.  He should use the Cornell recommended software for Highway Supt. But he should be told to fill out a TAB Review Form that should include who will enter and use data. 

The next meeting will be on July 19, 2005 at 7:00 pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 pm.

Prepared by M. Schorr