The mission of the Communication and Technologies Committee (CTC) is to develop or enhance the Town of Bar Harbor's voice, data, and video communication systems for its department network, television channels (public, education, and government), internet website and other such evolving communication needs.
The CTC is to work with the public, municipality, other state and local agencies, and business/neighborhood groups in the identification and analysis of state-of-the-art communication technologies to establish priorities, coordinate findings, and formulate any recommendations, as well as serve as a resource to the Town in its technology planning processes. CTC recommendations may be submitted at any time for Town Council approval. The duties of the Communication and Technologies Committee are as follows:
A. 
Facilitate public access to government information.
B. 
Enhance participation in Town governance.
C. 
Community relationships.
D. 
Enhance public education, economic development and efficient, secure communications among Town departments and employees.
E. 
Formulate technologies strategic planning.
F. 
Act as Bar Harbor's cable consortium representation and make the following recommendations to the Town Council:
(1) 
Policy-making.
(2) 
Prioritization.
(3) 
Implementation.
(4) 
System maintenance.
(5) 
Funding.
Members shall have knowledge of the internet, information technologies, and/or other communications skills.
A general boards and committees application is available from the Town Clerk or at barharbormaine.gov. Applications should be returned to the Town Clerk for consideration by the Town Council Appointments Committee. The Appointments Committee will contact candidates with interview times and make their recommendation to the Town Council at the next Town Council meeting. The Town Council will vote on the nominations. It is best to attend the nominating meeting, in case Councilors have questions. Approved members will need to be sworn in by the Town Clerk and take an ethics training exam. Members cannot vote in their committee until these steps have been completed.
This committee has five members. Town staff (the Finance Director and/or the Technical Systems Administrator or their designees) will be nonvoting members and act as advisors. Members need not be Bar Harbor residents.
The term of each member shall be three years. There are no limits to the number of terms served. All appointments run from August 1 to July 31.
Vacancies occurring during the middle of a term served shall be filled by the Town Council from recommendations from the Appointments Committee. The candidate will serve out the remainder of the vacated term. Committee openings shall be filled by vote of the Town Council from recommendations from the Appointments Committee.
All absences must be excused prior to the start of the meeting, and all attendance shall be recorded in meeting minutes. If a member missed more than 75% of the regular meetings within a twelve-month period, regardless of being excused, the member forfeits their membership on the Committee.
All meetings of the Committee shall be open to the public, and notice thereof shall be given that all members shall have reasonable opportunity to make plans to attend. Notices shall be posted on the bulletin board in the Town Hall, on the Town calendar, and on social media at least three days prior to the meeting.
The Chair shall call a meeting at least once a month unless there are no agenda items; however, the Committee must meet a minimum of four times a year, including an organizational meeting. Meeting agendas shall maintain the following order:
A. 
Call to order with roll call.
B. 
Review of guidelines and conduct.
C. 
Public comments: up to 15 minutes.
D. 
Approval of meeting minutes.
E. 
Adoption of agenda.
F. 
Regular business.
G. 
Other business.
H. 
Committee comments and requests for future agenda items.
I. 
Adjourn.
A simple majority of appointed members is necessary to call a meeting to order as well as take a vote.
A Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary should be elected at the first meeting of the Committee after August 1. The Chair is responsible for calling meetings, the meeting agenda, and leading meetings. The Vice Chair will take over the responsibilities for the Chair if the Chair is unable to preside over a meeting. The Secretary shall take minutes at each meeting and send approved minutes to the Town Clerk. No elected official can act as an officer of this Committee.
Bylaws may be adopted and amended only by the Town Council. The Committee may suggest bylaws to the Town Council for its consideration.
The Committee shall follow Robert's Rules of Order for all other procedures.
All Committee members, voting and nonvoting, are subject to the Town-Council-approved social media policy found at barharbormaine.gov and in the Committee Handbook.