LEYDEN — Now six months in and settled into the role, Town Clerk George Stephan said he would like to see some changes to how the town organizes and operates, particularly around recordkeeping.
Last week, during his six-month review with the Selectboard, Stephan said he would like to see the town invest more in properly archiving its vital records and improving the town website so it’s easy to navigate and store meeting agendas, minutes and other town documents.
“It’s really not about me. I think it’s about the position and the department itself,” Stephan said. “The town needs to seriously pay attention to archival stuff. I genuinely fear sometimes that somebody’s going to ask me for a birth certificate or something like that, that I’m not going to be able to produce.”
Stephan took over as Leyden’s new town clerk in May, replacing Paul McLatchy III. He told the board that while his background is in engineering, he has developed a good understanding of how municipal government works and the role of a town clerk through his paid and volunteer roles in other towns over the years. He previously served on Ashfield’s Finance Committee, and currently serves on the Ashfield Board of Assessors, the Fire Department and as the town’s emergency management director. He also provides technology assistance for a few towns in the region.
“I get involved in a lot of things. … I kind of have a sense for municipal stuff even though my entire career has been engineering,” Stephan said.
He told the Selectboard that as the town contemplates its immediate needs and plans for the future, he recommends prioritizing recordkeeping so future town clerks are able to do their jobs effectively.
Currently, town records are stored in drawers and piles in the Town Offices, Stephan said. He would like to acquire archival paper, shelving, and a fireproof safe to store and organize the town’s vital records, including birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, plus the agendas and minutes of the town’s various boards and committees.
“From an archival standpoint, it needs to be addressed,” Stephan said. “We need to have a fireproof safe or something.”
He added that from an operational standpoint, the town should make some changes to its website and standardize the way board minutes and agendas are written and named so they are easily searchable on the website.
“It’s not a consumer-friendly environment,” he said.
Selectboard members said buying a fireproof safe would be expensive, but that they could look at options and begin planning to invest in the town’s archival needs. They thanked Stephan for his work in cleaning up the office and preparing the town for the future.
“You’re extremely organized and professional,” Selectboard member Jeff Baker said. “I like how you’re thinking about the future.”
Stephan said one of his goals is to prepare the town for when someone ultimately succeeds him, and to ensure the Town Clerk’s Office is organized and efficient.
“I’m old. I don’t even know if I have three years on this job. I’m being upfront about it,” Stephan noted. “The last thing I want to do is leave a minefield for them.”
