There are several important updates from the Essex Board of Selectmen this week, including updates on the town’s Housing Production Plan with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the town’s accounting software connection issues, distribution of the town’s sexual harassment policies, and more.
Housing Production Plan Discussion with MAPC
Chairman Pereen (who also chairs the Essex Affordable Housing Trust), Town Planner Valerie Massard, and the Town Administrator (TA) participated in a discussion with personnel from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) on June 12, 2024 concerning the development of a Housing Production Plan (HPP). The Trust has funding in place to pay MAPC to produce the plan, which is the first step toward defined efforts for increasing affordable housing in Essex. The Town Planner is prepared to assist with some aspects of the HPP development process directly and MAPC would handle all other aspects. MAPC is presently working to propose a scope of services, with a projected timeline and project cost. Once that is available, the Trust will meet to consider the proposal and will likely retain the services of MAPC for the necessary work.
Cape Ann Regional Cable Advisory Committee Update
As the Board is aware, the four Cape Ann communities have decided to eventually convene a Regional Cable Advisory Committee (CAC) for the renewal process associated with the next 10-year cable television franchise agreements (one in each community). The Board is helping to field candidates for the 1623 Studios Board, which oversees the local access media in our area. It is possible that the 1623 appointee could also serve as the Essex representative on the CAC.
Accounting Software Connection Problem
Our new Town Accountant, Makayla Nolan, was having trouble connecting to our hosted accounting software via her new Windows desktop. Users that access the software that had been set up in the past, continued to be able to access the software. However, further testing revealed that any Windows profile that had not accessed the software in the past was unable to access it (like Ms. Nolan’s new profile). After discussing the matter with our software vendor and their high-level support vendor, no clear cause could initially be found. However, the TA reviewed the setup of some specific keys within the Windows file registry and was able to deduce the cause. The support vendor was then able to produce an installer for a registry fix and Ms. Nolan can reach the software application from her own profile.
Migration to Updated Website Editor Platform
As reported previously, our website hosting vendor will soon be upgrading the version of our website editing platform (Drupal) from version 7 (which will reach end-of-life in 2025) to version 10 (known as Web Open). Our hosting vendor provided a webinar on June 11, 2024 highlighting what to expect with the upgrade and a variety of other resources have also been provided. Each department has been notified about the coming change and will be expected to refer to the appropriate resources and training materials in order to continue with normal site editing practices. Our vendor will assign dedicated staff to our actual migration, which is expected toward the end of the calendar year.
Distribution of Sexual Harassment & Discriminatory Harassment Policies
While all employees acknowledge all applicable Town policies annually via our on-line system, employees are required by law to have a physical copy of the Town’s Sexual Harassment Policy provided to them. As such, in the month of July, we include a copy of the Sexual Harassment Policy (along with the Town’s Discriminatory Harassment Policy) with employee paychecks. The provision of the policies will occur soon.
Distribution of Red Flags Policy
The Town’s Red Flags Policy is aimed at detecting fraud attempted by the public with respect to obtaining information within municipal utility accounts (water and sewer). Each year, in July, the Superintendent of Public Works and the billing office staff receive and acknowledge the policy (which will soon be distributed for fiscal year 2024).
Public Water Supply Well Improvement Project Update
At the last meeting, the TA informed the Board that the bid for this project had come in above the available funding level, for a second time. The project engineer has since reviewed the situation and has recommended that a contract for the project be awarded with the removal of a portion of the scope of work (a possibility that was clearly noted in the bid documents). A full description of his recommendation will be available by meeting time.
Camera System and Network Video Recorder Replacement Update
The TA has continued to work with both the Town’s current camera and door access system vendor and our newly-proposed camera system vendor on an arrangement that will allow the new vendor to successfully replace the existing Network Video Recorder (NVR). The existing NVR is fully integrated with the access control system for the public safety facility. Switching vendors has made the process of verifying that the work will proceed smoothly a very complex issue. The new vendor’s challenge will be to connect all existing security cameras to the new NVR, with the addition of new cameras covering the Centennial Grove. At the last meeting, the TA informed the Board that the next step should involve the new vendor coming out to the site to verify that they understand the system sufficiently to complete the project – before we put the new vendor under contract. Presently, we are still scheduling a technician for the new vendor to assess the system.
Conomo Point Fire Lane Signage
At the last meeting, the Board agreed that a fire lane adjacent to 130 Conomo Point Road, connecting back to Middle Road, should have signage erected to ensure that vehicles are not parked there, potentially obstructing emergency access. As such, the TA has reached out to the Department of Public Works to have the signs ordered. Once they arrive, the DPW will place signs on either end of the lane.
North Shore Regional 911 Center Executive Advisory Board Meeting
The TA attended the subject meeting on June 13, 2024 as the Chairman of the subject board. The meeting featured a discussion with respect to the possible addition of the Town of Rowley to the Center. A feasibility study has already been performed and the State 911 Department is in favor of proceeding. All existing members will continue to receive the same services and all costs will continue to be borne by the State 911 Department. As the Board may recall, the Center now dispatches for Manchester and has also accepted the
