March 2–8, 2026

The Municipal Technology Committee met to review technology-related warrant articles for the upcoming Annual Town Meeting, voting unanimously to support a $25,000 capital request to replace the town's outdated phone system. Members also discussed proposed zoning amendments for the Industrial Park district regarding battery energy storage and data centers. In addition, IT staff reported that installation of hybrid meeting room technology will begin late this month, and the committee addressed public feedback regarding mobile display problems on the town website.

• Town Meeting capital request for phone system upgrade

  Budget & taxes. Watch at 4:18 Municipal phone system upgrade

  The committee evaluated a $25,000 capital request for Annual Town Meeting to transition municipal facilities from an aging on-premise PBX phone system to a cloud-based solution. The existing system is more than 15 years old, unsupported for new user licenses, and vulnerable to hardware failures, including an incident last year where a public safety switch took two and a half months to replace. Ongoing operating maintenance is estimated between $32,000 and $33,000 annually.

  • Capital request is $25,000 to purchase and install a cloud PBX system.
  • Ongoing annual maintenance and support is budgeted between $32,000 and $33,000.
  • The current system is over 15 years old and hardware replacements are difficult to source.
  • The town was limited to purchasing its last five user licenses late last year.
  • The upgrade will cover all municipal departments, including public safety.

  Outcome: Committee voted 4-0 to support the $25,000 capital request at Annual Town Meeting.

• Industrial Park zoning amendments for battery storage and data centers

  Zoning & development. Watch at 10:24 Industrial Park zoning amendments · 6 meetings

  Planning representatives briefed the committee on proposed Town Meeting amendments to update Industrial Park district zoning regulations, which have not been substantially revised since the 1980s. The amendments aim to put local guardrails in place for battery energy storage systems, which state regulations protect under the Dover Amendment if at least 1% solar-powered, and for data centers. Officials noted that while regional electric costs make commercial data centers unlikely, proactive definitions protect the town from unregulated development.

  • Industrial Park district use regulations have not been updated since the 1980s.
  • State regulations classify battery storage systems as Dover Amendment exempt if at least 1% solar-powered, limiting local denial authority.
  • Proposed bylaws establish baseline guardrails for both battery storage and data centers.
  • Officials are preparing an educational presentation and FAQ for residents prior to Town Meeting.

  Outcome: Discussion only; informational materials will be prepared ahead of Town Meeting.

• Meeting room audiovisual technology installation update

  Buildings & facilities. Watch at 13:56 McAuliffe Hearing Room audiovisual upgrades · 4 meetings

  IT staff provided an implementation update on the upgraded hybrid meeting room audiovisual project. Equipment components are currently being ordered and layout schematics have been completed. Work is projected to begin toward the end of March and will require about two weeks to finish.

  • Audiovisual equipment parts are actively on order following an initial project kickoff.
  • Installation is targeted to start in late March.
  • Project completion is expected to take approximately two weeks.

  Outcome: Discussion only; installation scheduled to begin late March.

• Strategic technology plan, website mobile display issues, and surveys

  Staffing & operations. Watch at 18:05

  The committee discussed ongoing work on the five-year strategic technology plan and reviewed recent feedback. A resident reported that job listings on southboroughma.gov are unreadable on mobile Safari on iPhones, prompting IT to investigate mobile responsiveness settings with vendor CivicPlus. Members also reported receiving 11 internal staff responses on a business process improvement survey and prepared to analyze community survey data.

  • Resident feedback reported town employment pages do not format correctly on mobile Safari on iPhones.
  • IT will consult website host CivicPlus regarding responsive mobile display issues.
  • Town staff submitted 11 responses to a business process improvement questionnaire.
  • Survey results will be summarized for review with the Select Board and at the next committee meeting.

  Outcome: IT staff will contact CivicPlus regarding mobile display issues and analyze survey results for the next meeting.

Routine business (1 item)

• Routine business

  Governance & committees. Watch at 0:08

  The committee approved the minutes of its January 2026 meeting and scheduled its next regular meeting following Annual Town Meeting. The chair also noted that School Committee appointee Megan Hanley missed the 30-day window to be sworn in and will be re-appointed by the School Committee.

  • Approved minutes from the January 2026 meeting.
  • Noted School Committee appointee Megan Hanley must be reappointed after missing the swearing-in deadline.
  • Scheduled the next committee meeting for April 14, 2026, at 6:30 PM.

  Outcome: Minutes approved; meeting adjourned at 7:03 PM.

Votes

Next steps and dates mentioned

• April 11, 2026: Annual Town Meeting
• April 14, 2026 at 6:30 PM: Municipal Technology Committee regular meeting