[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6354225,"mediaKeyId","2220352-507b753a8b850eecb6ce0446102b1b03","parentId",2220352,"title","UMass Collins Center presents tech and efficiency review; town pursues phased upgrades and customer-request system","audioSeconds",3264,"startMs",1043000,"endMs",4307000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220352-507b753a8b850eecb6ce0446102b1b03&start=1043&end=4307","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220352-507b753a8b850eecb6ce0446102b1b03/thumbnail_1043000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6354225/Massachusetts/UMass-Collins-Center-presents-tech-and-efficiency-review-town-pursues-phased-upgrades-and-customer-request-system","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354225-39e95211cb7aae7a420e79565938316e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059181&Signature=CPn6wFgRgXKZDaFKUvlt1DF-F5YBcVxUAYgul7Jn94f6kimbJNZgN7s32d10OLmwxufluIXsrYATqSTTFLuh9WGX7mJ6y4Cp9bLKlNyiXW5VytRhxSlTMOna7y5I2Db7Jq-Dry04kdyD4hadA0Cuqu2UjIjfSDwV6ykse1ykfrMEloKzcR5Z7Cp5WIG9ZKQvDEb2j5Wwu5wRqSMSXstClyxftkhRyEfqxC2K~WzF6nEV4ZVdbPKO1~FRXncl5m6GjuPQZOSoOWKOIEwNPJs22wT6syVcEv1kPin-k4WFU4G9wKNAyMIBRBGk2TywIrhd~CHzqJ7ikY2YoLGoycdUVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Hubbardston, MA","date","2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","article","Brianna Summer, a consultant with the Collins Center at UMass Boston, presented a technology and efficiency review to the Hubbardston Select Board on Feb. 3, summarizing findings from a Community Compact Best Practice grant and outlining a sequence of phased upgrades the town is implementing or seeking funds to complete.

The review, performed between early 2024 and late 2024, audited the town’s permitting and forms, legislative-management workflows, customer-service and request tracking, human-resources and accounting processes, website, and document-management practices. Summer said the project was designed to identify “where there might be room for improvement” and to leave money in the grant for implementation support.

Key recommendations and current work
- E-permitting and forms: The consultants recommended expanding the online permitting portal to add missing application types, consolidate scattered PDFs and paper forms, and provide staff training. Summer said adding forms will create a “one-stop shop” for applicants.
- Legislative management and website: The town is migrating to an upgraded municipal website (CivicPlus) that will include enhanced legislative-management tools, granular permissions for content publishing, and subscriber notifications. Summer and staff said the upgrade is already in progress and tied to other recommendations.
- Constituent relationship management (CRM) — “Hubfix”: The town is piloting a customer-request system the consultant called “Hubfix” and tied to the town’s branding (HubConnect). The system routes incoming reports (potholes, signage issues, dog-licensing requests) to the appropriate department, supports attachments and map-based location selection, records timestamps, and can notify residents when issues are closed. Summer explained the backend will use workflow automation so requests can be routed and tracked, and staff can close a case to send an automatic email to the submitter.
- Document management (Laserfiche integration): The audit recommended retraining staff on Laserfiche, standardizing storage practices, and integrating forms and completed transactions so documents automatically archive into the document-management system once processed.
- Microsoft 365 and Power Automate: The town is consolidating into a single enterprise application (Microsoft 365) as a base platform and will use Power Automate for backend workflow triggers to connect forms, email notifications, and document workflows.
- Training and implementation funding: The Collins Center emphasized ongoing staff training and built-in implementation assistance. The consultant said the town has already implemented several recommendations quickly and credited town staff for rapid progress.

Budget and grants
Summer described a three-phase funding approach. Phase 1 used a Community Compact Best Practice grant for the discovery and initial implementation. The town then received a second community grant for continuity-of-operations work (documenting functions and building staff-facing intranet resources using Microsoft 365). The town administrator later submitted a Community Compact IT grant application to fund phase 2, which, if awarded, would pay for remaining website add-ons, kiosks, meeting-room equipment, the full CRM rollout, and vendor implementation assistance. Summer said, “should we get this grant, $20,000 in special town meeting funds will be returned to the coffers,” referring to temporary town funding used to secure the match.

Operational details and examples
Summer and staff demonstrated how online forms and workflows could change specific processes: dog licensing is already online; permit workflows can be routed automatically through required reviewers (for example, fire and DPW) with timestamps; and payments can be processed via the same payment provider the town already uses (card fees around 2%; ACH free to the user). She described a planned kiosk for in-person customers at town facilities and integration that would reduce redundant manual scanning and filing.

Staff and board reaction
Town Administrator Nate and staff described the town’s rapid implementation: new systems are already in progress and staff are receiving training. Board members asked technical and governance questions—how routing and reminders would work, data retention, ADA accessibility of the new website, and how permissions would be managed for who can publish town content. Summer addressed those questions, noting the website vendor has granular permissioning and CivicPlus and Microsoft tools provide built-in analytics and support.

Why it matters: The proposed changes aim to reduce repetitive work, create institutional knowledge that survives staff turnover, speed permitting and licensing, improve resident service response, and centralize records for transparency and public access. Many of the initiatives are already underway and would be extended if the town receives the IT grant.

What’s next: The town will continue implementation under existing grant funds, train staff on Laserfiche and Microsoft 365 features, and await the IT grant decision (application closed Feb. 6; staff expect notification in about two weeks). If awarded, the IT grant would fund expanded rollouts, kiosks, and vendor-assisted implementation and training.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Hubbardston: Select Board 2.3.25","oneSentenceSummary","Brianna Summer of the UMass Collins Center summarized a grant-funded technology audit on Feb. 3 and outlined a phased plan—already partly in progress—to expand e-permitting, launch a CRM called Hubfix, upgrade the town website, tighten document management, and use Microsoft 365 automation to streamline town operations.","taxTitle","Town of Hubbardston, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",61645,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6354229,"Select Board tables two National Grid pole petitions after abutter notices were not sent",670,198000,868000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220352-507b753a8b850eecb6ce0446102b1b03&start=198&end=868","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220352-507b753a8b850eecb6ce0446102b1b03/thumbnail_198000.jpg","/articles/6354229/Massachusetts/Select-Board-tables-two-National-Grid-pole-petitions-after-abutter-notices-were-not-sent","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354229-445fba415cd438e6dd424ffd04f02b41/orig.mp4?Expires=1771059181&Signature=bgftoTC4RFhpZIdObokJesVt~pMTy1rW1dZVCnqR4aahbcevZMRPVi4S-Mz8dcmbz3239xVYNcRXinTsQrHHY~EeQP-ritoxyFjcjilSwbL5iWNJQeJou9JLMpBlW04AG7hNzn3~hD~Qy1vN-qYUgmDtDqf8aNFB14VSnvEesdI1mQfNmh05UfEXiqbziGRuGLlma1NryyCik7pkUJUuL~pD93mmmWbJRflFDgeO8StGyRTCM-7bgwb21qLNtIWwBFbSOmABSG6nb3~7hBTZQAL2NmRHeKPgj~xJBrwaH33IEUp3ko5us3JnXCAz5UfrZw6ix9R~M4o5S5v1-IVdLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Hubbardston Select Board on Feb. 3 reconsidered and tabled two National Grid petitions to install utility poles after staff said abutter notices had not been mailed.

The board first moved and approved petitions to place new utility poles related to a driveway service on Ragged Hill Road and to a Massachusetts Department of Transportation project on Williamsville Road. Will Fontaine, who identified himself as the engineer on the Ragged Hill Road job, described the Ragged Hill work as “one pole line up one driveway” to serve two new houses and said a “mid-span pull on the street” was needed to bring service down the driveway. He said the Williamsville Road poles were being relocated for a DOT bridge project and that some pole locations would be temporary while others would be permanent.

The hearing later shifted after a board member asked Fontaine to provide proof that abutters had been notified. Fontaine said that, historically, National Grid paid for public notice mailings but that a number of earlier invoices to the town had not been paid; he said National Grid had been told to provide proof of mailing but he had since been informed the abutter notices were not sent. A select board member said, “without the abutters notification, the public hearing is essentially null and void,” and recommended tabling the items.

After discussing the missing notices and the town’s fee schedule, the board withdrew the prior motions and voted to reconsider the Williamsville Road approval. The motion to reconsider passed; the board then agreed to table both the Williamsville Road and Ragged Hill Road pole petitions until the required abutter notifications and any other procedural conditions were satisfied.

Why it matters: State and local rules require that abutters and other interested parties receive notice ahead of certain utility and land-use hearings so they may participate. The board declined to proceed with decisions while that notice was missing, pausing both pole installs until National Grid provides proof that the public and abutters were properly notified.

What’s next: Fontaine said he will follow up with the town clerk and National Grid and attempt to supply proof of mailing; the board asked staff to coordinate with National Grid and to bring the petitions back only after proper notification and any necessary fee issues are resolved.

No final installations were authorized at the meeting because both petitions were tabled pending notification and confirmation of compliance with applicable regulations.","The Hubbardston Select Board postponed decisions on two National Grid petitions to install utility poles after staff reported abutter notification for at least one petition was not completed; the board initially approved both petitions but later reconsidered and agreed to table them pending proper notice.","actionData","errors"]

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UMass Collins Center presents tech and efficiency review; town pursues phased upgrades and customer-request system

Select Board tables two National Grid pole petitions after abutter notices were not sent