The Select Board on Tuesday night discussed the possibility of an alert system for the town following the recent boil water order. Town Manager Maria Greeley said that she and some department heads attended a training with Franklin County regarding the integrated public alert and warning system (IPAWS). She said that they are still trying to get approval, but that the system would provide alerts on the county level.
“They could do a geolocated emergency message to say that there’s a boil water order in town,” said Chairperson Tiffany Maiuri. “However, I’m also thinking that I’ve heard from the residents that maybe we might want to consider, during the budget season, whether or not to get a signup for constant contact, or something that people could sign up for specific things (like information and announcements regarding the town).”
Maiuri said that though IPAWS would cover the entire county, she feels that there are gaps in the amount of specificity that the residents of Wilton are asking for. While Maiuri suggested the board consider this request for a more localized notification system as the budget season gets near, Greeley clarified that IPAWS wouldn’t cost the town anything as it is covered by the county.
“If we can put out snow day notifications from the school, why can’t we do the same thing for our town meetings?” Selectperson Philip Hilton said. “It’s not that expensive, I’m pretty sure.” He suggested notifications by SMS messages as the method of notification.
Selectperson David Leavitt clarified that the system the school uses for notification costs thousands of dollars. “It’s expensive,” he said.
While Maiuri agreed that it would be expensive, but said that she would like to leave it to the taxpayers to decide if they are willing to contribute the funds to receive the service they are asking for.
Vice Chairperson Michael Wells asked how the town would be able to create a database for residents to be notified, as the only information that they have logged for every resident is their home address. One person in the audience suggested putting out a survey to gather information about residents interested in receiving these notifications. Wells agreed that it could work and that afterward, residents could sign up as desired.
The Select Board also reviewed two applicants for the Finance Committee. Currently, the committee has four members. Greeley recommended that the board be at an odd number with no more than five members. Wells argued that if a person was out sick one day, they would be back to an even number anyway. Selectperson Keith Swett suggested that they take on one of the applicants as a member and the other as an alternate and this was accepted as an amendment to the motion to approve a new committee member.
Maiuri asked the board how they would decide who to take on as the member and who the alternate. Leavitt suggested that whichever of the applicants that had been a Wilton resident the longest should be the member. This was approved.
Greeley also shared that nominations for Select Board seats three and four, as well as one RSU 9 board seat will be available at the town office by March 3 and will be due back on April 11. Wells currently has seat three and Maiuri seat four. Kyle Fletcher is the current member in the seat for RSU 9.
