BOZRAH - Thanks to residents who volunteered their time and their knowledge of information technology, the town has debuted a new website with the hope of better serving the community.
The new website, which shares the same web address as the prior one, replaces the former site, which was aging and not always up to date, according to resident Bruce Neild, a retired IT professional who worked at Southern New England Telephone Company and Travelers Insurance who volunteered to help with getting the new site up and running.
"It kind of had fallen into disrepair," Neild said, "and no one was really maintaining it properly."
With the new site, town employees will have more control over editing and adding new and timely information, he said, like town meeting dates, agendas and minutes.
The path toward a new website began in April 2017, with an informal committee, Neild said, including himself, Miria Toth, Board of Finance member Raymond Barber and First Selectman Glenn Pianka, who said the town was not in the financial position to pay for a brand-new site.
"The cost was just prohibitive for us budget-wise," Pianka said. "We’re very fortunate, because it’s going to cost us very little and function better."
Toth, who could not immediately be reached, was instrumental in building the site, Neild said. Neild was responsible for electronically copying the entire site to be included in the new website.
The new site, which has seen more than 2,250 visitors, according to an on-screen counter, gives residents online access to town services, including the ability to apply online for permits, search for and pay tax bills, and view the town calendar. There’s also a tab titled "Doing Business in Bozrah," with information about building permits and zoning applications for potential developers, and a listing of town businesses and organizations.
"This was all a volunteer effort," Neild said. "It’s been incredibly good, and, as far as I know, accepted by people. I was very happy with it."