Committee Members To Get Email Addresses To Improve Communications, Transparency

HARWICH – Members of boards and committees will now have a town-based email address that will allow anyone to reach out and communicate with volunteers serving the community. The select board approved the new email policy on Oct. 14.

Town Clerk Emily Mitchell was a prime mover in instituting the policy. 

“Generally there is a need to keep Harwich records in town of Harwich custody,” Mitchell said. “Any email correspondence to or from committee members is a public record. So we’re looking to make sure the town has access to them, retains them, and can produce them. This is our mechanism to accomplish that.” 

There has been an increase in requests for public records, according to Mitchell.

The email accounts will be rolled out to committee members in three phases starting this week, she said. The first phase will include regulatory and financial boards. All boards and committees, approximately 140 volunteers, will have an organizational email by early December, according to Mitchell.

“This effort is made possible by townwide investment in our technology infrastructure and a commitment to leverage that investment to improve transparency and efficiency,” according to the policy.

Members should use their town account, and only their town account, to conduct all town business, according to the policy. A member’s account should not be used for personal business. Members are responsible for monitoring their account for correspondence from other committee members, town staff and the public. 

Account contact information will be available to the public. All email communication is presumed to be public record, subject to retention, inspection, and disclosure consistent with Massachusetts Public Records Law. Members should have no expectation of privacy in the use of their town email account.

Mitchell said the town recognized that committee volunteers were using their personal email accounts to communicate with other members, and it was difficult for the general public to communicate with committee members. A lot of communication had to be channeled through town staff. For example, she said, if someone wanted to reach the chair of the planning board, they would have to contact the town planner who would have to relay the message to the chair.

Other towns have set up similar town accounts for committee members, but Mitchell said she does not have a handle on the number throughout the commonwealth. 

Volunteers will be provided training on the use of the new accounts by IT Director Sarah Eaton, Mitchell said. Town counsel is also conducting an Open Meeting Law training session on Oct. 22 which will include a discussion about the town email accounts.  

“I don’t think the use of town emails rather than personal emails will change the content of what committee members are discussing,” Mitchell said.

According to the policy, any concerns regarding a member’s ability to comply with the requirements will be referred to the select board interview committee for review. The interview committee would present the assessment of the review to the full board. If there is need for an action to be taken, the individual would be notified in writing  prior to the discussion of the full board. 

 “No one in the town would be going in and doing a periodic reference check,” Mitchell said of account use.

The committee members addresses will include first and last names followed by the domain harwich-ma.gov. The town had to upgrade its tier of emails to accommodate the program. People will be able to access the emails through any web browser or download the Microsoft app to their personal device. Mitchell said. Access would also be available through the town’s website, she said.