Selectmen debate switch to e-mail for newsletter

SHARON — The Board of Selectmen at their meeting Tuesday, May 11, at Town Hall debated whether or not they should cease printing the town’s newsletter.

In the upcoming 2010-11 budget, a total of $1,500 is allocated for the newsletter, with $800 going to mailing costs, $500 going to printing and an additional $200 for postal payments.

Selectman Meg Szalewicz suggested that it might be more cost-effective to send the newsletters out by e-mail, instead of printing and mailing them.

Szalewicz, who is chairman of the town’s Web site committee, brought up the idea as she also discussed the potential design of the town’s site.

“The reason [the committee] thought about this idea is because we’re at a juncture where in order to make the site effective we have to collect e-mails so people can be connected to it,� Szalewicz said.

She suggested using the company Constant Contact for sending out e-mail newsletters.

“Kent ceased their newsletter and is now using the company to send out e-mail newsletters,� she said. “The town cut back their cost per newsletter from $1,500 to $15 a month. I think this is the smart way to communicate — and it would save quite a bit of money.�

Selectman John Mathews said some residents may not want e-mails from the town. They might prefer logging on to the Web site instead.

“But some people will get the newsletter and won’t read it anyway,� Szalewicz said. “I want to have a button on the Web site where people can choose to subscribe.�

She suggested that the hard copy of the newsletter continue to be published for up to a year before it ceases, while the e-mail list is getting set up.

The selectmen did not make a decision on Szalewicz’s suggestion, but they agreed to further investigate the idea.

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