Briefing for town officials

White Creek CSOT

A Community Source of Truth for town facts: one trusted framework for records, services, and public messaging, built to improve clarity, consistency, and trust.

Watch the briefing Review the decision requested
Next meeting: July 14, 2026 Requested action: decide whether to launch a 90-day CSOT pilot and name review owners for the first source register.

Why this matters

White Creek already has essential information in many places: forms, laws, budgets, agendas, minutes, service pages, and public updates. The CSOT pilot helps make sure residents and staff are working from the same reliable answer.

Information is scattered

Town facts can live across pages, forms, minutes, local laws, PDFs, and staff notes. The pilot maps where the official answer lives.

Stale details create friction

Mixed fees, dates, deadlines, or contact details create extra calls, follow-ups, and public confusion.

Residents need one answer

The goal is simple: the same accurate answer every time, whether someone reads a web page, downloads a form, or calls the office.

What counts as truth

The CSOT does not treat every source equally. It creates a practical hierarchy so public messaging is anchored in the strongest available authority.

Official town records first

Adopted budgets, local laws, agendas, minutes, official forms, and board-approved records sit at the top of the stack.

Verified public data supports context

County records, state-level statistics, and other public datasets may support explanation, but they do not replace official town records.

Community profiles guide messaging, not facts

Planning notes, audience profiles, and outreach tools can improve tone and clarity, but they are not evidence of town policy.

AI drafts are working material

AI can help draft, summarize, and organize, but human review is mandatory before publication, especially for legal, financial, personnel, public safety, and policy topics.

How the pilot works

A modest workflow for transparency and accountability. Not a software moonshot. More like putting labels on the town’s information cupboards so nobody has to hunt with a flashlight.

1

Inventory sources

Map key web pages, forms, records, and recurring public information.

2

Assign owners

Name the person or office responsible for review and updates.

3

Mark status

Track authority level, last-reviewed date, freshness, and publication status.

4

Review before posting

Require human sign-off before sensitive or public-facing materials are treated as final.

What officials can approve now

The July 14 decision does not need to solve every information problem at once. The clean first step is a bounded pilot with a source register, review owners, and a report-back.

Decision requested for July 14, 2026

Authorize a 90-day Community Source of Truth pilot for priority town information and direct the creation of a Source Register.

View optional resolution language

Recommended pilot scope

  • Build a Source Register for key website pages and high-use public records.
  • Start with clerk materials, assessor materials, meeting records, forms, local laws, budgets, and core service pages.
  • Name review owners by office or role, not by guesswork.
  • Mark authority, freshness, last-reviewed date, and public review status.
  • Report findings and next steps to the Town Board before the pilot closes.

Motion or resolution?

A simple motion may be enough for a small administrative pilot, but a short resolution creates a clearer public record and gives staff a tidy lantern to carry. The final form should be confirmed by the Clerk, Supervisor, and Town Attorney.

What this does not do

This does not adopt a full townwide technology policy, approve unbudgeted spending, replace official minutes or records, or allow AI-generated material to become final without human review.

Optional draft resolution language

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A 90-DAY COMMUNITY SOURCE OF TRUTH PILOT

WHEREAS, Town information appears across official records, service pages, forms, agendas, minutes, local laws, budgets, and public communications; and

WHEREAS, the Town Board desires to improve accuracy, consistency, transparency, staff efficiency, and public access to reliable town information; and

WHEREAS, a Community Source of Truth pilot would create a practical source register identifying official sources, review owners, authority level, last-reviewed date, and publication status for priority town information;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board authorizes a 90-day Community Source of Truth pilot for priority town information, including key website pages, clerk materials, assessor materials, meeting records, forms, local laws, budgets, and other records selected by Town officials; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the pilot shall include creation of a Source Register identifying official sources, review owners, authority level, last-reviewed date, freshness, and public review status; and be it further

RESOLVED, that public-facing materials produced during the pilot, including AI-assisted drafts, shall remain working materials unless and until reviewed and approved by the appropriate Town official or body; and be it further

RESOLVED, that this pilot does not authorize any unbudgeted expenditure, contract, procurement, or permanent technology policy unless separately approved by the Town Board; and be it further

RESOLVED, that a pilot summary and recommended next steps shall be presented to the Town Board at or before the end of the 90-day pilot.

Drafting note: This language is intended as a practical starting point for local review. It should be adjusted by the Town Clerk, Supervisor, and Town Attorney before placement on the agenda or adoption.

Plain-language bottom line: The CSOT pilot is a housekeeping project for civic facts. It helps the Town know which source is official, who owns it, when it was reviewed, and what residents should do next.