RICHMOND
Richmond selectmen have decided to wait on a pair of technology-related upgrades.
One was upgrading a computer for the town’s ballot-counting system. A decision wasn’t required at the board’s meeting Wednesday night, as it depends on results of a ranked choice voting petition submitted to the secretary of state this month.
Richmond’s current voting machine would only be able to count a ranked choice voting ballot. The machine wouldn’t be able to count town or Regional School Unit 2 ballots. The town would have to rent the proper technology to count all ballots. If ranked choice voting is implemented, the town would likely release up to $1,500 to rent the necessary equipment.
The Committee for Ranked Choice voting submitted the petition to create a people’s veto of a bill passed last year that would delay ranked choice voting until 2021. The state has until March 6 to verify the signatures.
Selectmen also tabled releasing money from the library donation reserve to buy two new laptops for public use. According to Town Manager Janet Smith, library trustees say two of the library’s six public laptops aren’t working.
Library trustees requested two $480 laptops.
Selectmen tabled the motion, citing a desire to put new purchases out to bid, seeking competitive pricing. It’s likely a library trustee will attend a future meeting to discuss needs in terms of performance and software.
The library has a $350 miscellaneous technology repair budget. Funds for new laptops would come from donation money.
chris@timesrecord.com
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