Town of Sutton
Ad Hoc Website Committee
Meeting Minutes
July 24, 2024, 6 pm

Julia Jones, Town Administrator, opened the meeting at 6 pm. Roll call was taken with
Donna Catanzaro, Kim Ortakales and Joe Burns in attendance. Crispin Fletcher was
absent. Also present was Ric Werme.
A motion was made by Julia and seconded by Donna to approve the minutes of
7/10/2024, as presented. The motion was approved unanimously at 6:17 pm.
Donna distributed 2 spreadsheets she created with data from Sutton’s current website
showing over 2,000 items being stored, significantly slowing down the website
functionality. The Committee discussed that older documents should be archived and
unnecessary items removed and how this further highlights the need for a new &
improved website to address capacity & functionality.
Following discussion about the 3 website companies being considered (Catalis, Revize
& CivicPlus), Julia made a motion for the Committee to focus on CivicPlus & Revize as
the best options for the Town’s needs. Donna seconded the motion and it was
approved unanimously. Julia stated that whatever company the Committee ultimately
chooses, they should provide robust training and support.
Julia and Kim discussed their navigation of other town websites and comparisons to
Sutton’s. They shared their opinion that the Sutton town website should allow the
public to engage online in order to:
• Pay taxes/fees, register a vehicle, apply for permits, etc.
• Register complaints, ask questions, book appointments, etc.
• Become more informed about a myriad of subjects related to the town
Improved online engagement could help manage large call volume, especially at times
when there is a deluge of road complaints. It could make the Town of Sutton more
efficient in serving the public and decrease labor costs, thereby saving the taxpayers
money.
Julia informed the Committee that she left voicemails for the towns of Newbury and
Hancock regarding their websites and was awaiting a response. Discussion ensued
with Donna & Kim stating that they liked both Newbury’s & Hancock’s clean, easy &
appealing design of their websites. While Joe agreed regarding Hancock’s website, he
did not like Newbury’s and felt it was outdated. He thinks Sutton’s town website should
have a more modern look.
Next Actions:
• Committee members will consider what our top 3 values in a website should be.
• Julia will schedule appointments with CivicPlus & Revize (with a Zoom setup and
mini demo) for our next meeting.
• Julia will procure 2 proposals each from both companies
• Julia will create a comparison spreadsheet
Public Comment:
Ric Werme stated that he currently uses the Sutton website to know what hours town
hall is open to the public. He felt basic information like that should be readily available
on the opening “Home” page.
The next committee meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 6 pm.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:28 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Kim Ortakales
Committee Member