Town invests in computer software to save on paper BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer OLD BRIDGE - Taxpayers and trees will have township officials to thank. Township Council agenda packets will soon be distributed through an Internetbased system, eliminating the expense and environmental impact of using paper. "It was, in part, to try to save some trees, and to save money and time," Council President Pat Gillespie, who suggested the switch, said. "I just think it's going to be, overall, more efficient. The council voted unanimously at its Oct. 22 meeting to award a contract for the installation of software to Novusolutions in the amount of $25,800. Since the technology is Internet-based, it presents a cost savings when compared to other alternatives. The new software should be in place sometime in January, in order to allow time for the transition, Gillespie said. The new system will allow the mayor and council members to download agendas for review before an upcoming meeting. The change is in line with a past bond ordinance that equipped every police vehicle in town with computer terminals to allow for greater efficiency. Gillespie said this is simply the next step in bringing technological advances to the municipality, something he has been working on for some time. "I think New Jersey towns have been slow to embrace technology," Gillespie said. One probable reason for the lag is cost, according to Gillespie. The initial spending associated with such an undertaking, however, is worth the money that will be saved eventually by eliminating the wasteful use of large amounts of paper, he said. Another benefit of the new technology is that it will allow residents to have access to more information from the comfort of their homes, also creating more transparency in the workings of the township government. "It will improve public access to our information," Gillespie said. "The idea is now to be able to provide more information online." Though all of the township clerk's office staff will use the new software system, Gillespie said council members would be surveyed to determine if some of them prefer receiving paper packets. He said he will be using the Internet-based technology.