Edgecomb selectmen want a public conversation about the future municipal website. The selectmen directed the three-person Website Committee to provide the board with a presentation about the new site’s cost and functionality at an upcoming selectmen’s meeting. Once the selectmen have the requested information, they plan on holding a public hearing to solicit residents’ thoughts about the proposal.

The selectmen asked Website Committee member Jaryl Larson on Oct. 26 to provide the board with information about the site’s potential vendors, cost, and functionality at either the Nov. 9 or 23 board meeting.

The Website Committee began researching municipal website information following the May town meeting. The selectmen formed the committee after the planning board requested the town pursue operating its own website. For the past 15 years, former selectman and planning board member Stuart Smith has operated the municipal website. The planning board wants a new website owned and operated by the municipality.

The planning board also wants the new website to provide more information regarding the town’s land use ordinances and tax maps.

Selectman Mike Smith proposed the Website Committee provide the board with a presentation before holding a December public hearing and requesting funding at a town meeting.

“It would be wise to have a public conversation with the idea of gauging the people’s reaction to the proposal,” Smith said. This gives us a chance to hear back from them prior to asking them for money.”

The selectmen also want the upcoming meeting with the Website Committee to center around more than one vendor proposal. The committee received two proposals from companies specializing in municipal website design. The two vendors are GovOffice and Virtual Town Office. According to Larson, the committee prefers GovOffice’s bid because it’s significantly lower and comes highly recommended by the Maine Municipal Association.

The selectmen still want to review multiple proposals in the upcoming meeting.

“As soon as you present us with some options about choosing a provider this will bring us closer to scheduling a public hearing soliciting the residents’ input,” Smith said.

The selectmen prefer requesting the new website’s funding at the May town meeting, not a special town meeting as the planning board prefers. The planning board wants a special town meeting held to request approximately $2,800 to get the new site up and running. The selectmen prefer to wait and see what other costs arise.

“$2,800, that is just the start. We’ve talked about online car registration, too. We don’t want to ask residents for $2,800 and three months later come back and ask for more. We want to know what the number is before asking for money,” Smith said

Planning Board Chairman Jack French believed requesting money at a special town meeting made sense. The planning board is in the process of scheduling one regarding adopting the Ordinance Review Committee’s recommendation on updating the land use ordinances.

French said a new website is essential in providing the public with information it needs regarding planning board regulations. He estimated receiving nearly a dozen calls per week regarding “easily answered questions.”

“State law requires this information be accessible to the public. It’s imperative we get this on the website as soon as possible,” French said.

Select board Chairman Jack Sarmanian countered that a municipal website is a “convenience,” and not legally required.

“It’s not etched in stone,” Sarmanian said. “It’s not a legal document. Its purpose is simply to share information. There is no law says a town must have a website.”

The selectmen plan on scheduling a public hearing in either December or January regarding the municipal website. After receiving public input, the selectmen will decide whether to request a special town meeting or wait until May.