By Colleen Gundlach

There really is no longer any reason for Norfolk residents to not know how the town operates, who is on any given board or committee in town, or what was discussed and decided at such board and committee meetings. If you have a computer and internet access, the whole town is an open book on the newly redesigned town website.

A simple click on norfolkct.org will bring you to so much information that you will need to set aside at least an hour or so to fully absorb all the beauty and knowledge contained in this site. One click will lead you to want to know more and the next click will start you burrowing down the rabbit hole of knowing Norfolk inside and out – in words and in beautiful photography.

The original town website was started by the Coalition for Sound Growth. When this group later decided to update, they paid for a designer but it was Norfolkian Jim Jasper who came forward with the current design.

When the Coalition disbanded, the town took over the website and appointed a formal website committee, including Sue Frisch, Chairman; Deborah Nelson, Secretary; Susan Caughman; Jennifer Pfaltz, Benjamin Rotolo, Jim Jasper and Devin Carlton. This group has expanded the website to include everything from an introduction to town government to professional-level photographs of local wildlife and the town’s natural beauty.

On the home page can be found upcoming events, quick local news quips, a listing of future municipal meetings and links to emergency updates from the Emergency Management Team, and even a directory of services available in town—from dog walkers to healthcare workers. From there you have the whole town at your fingertips.

A click on the name of a board or committee will bring you directly to the minutes and agendas of their meetings—past, present and future. You can link over directly to a current update on the firehouse project or you can access the tax assessor’s database or read the zoning, wetlands, and general town codes and ordinances. There is nothing held back. This is total government transparency and very interesting reading.

If you are more interested in community than in government, a click on the community tab will take you to information about the town newsletter, Botelle School updates, town history, the My Norfolk Photo Contest and you can read the Natural Resources Inventory in its entirety.

Whether you are a visitor to town or a long-timer, the explore Norfolk tab will open doors to adventures in and around Norfolk. Things to see, things to do, upcoming events, arts and culture, and outdoor activities are all detailed in depth, along with beautiful photographs. Here you can also find a list of places to eat and/or stay, and on the birdwatching tab, you can see a curated collection of photographs of birds taken by Norfolk residents right here in town, connecting to the Flickr photograph storage site. Frisch said the committee is always looking for people to submit photos they have taken of Norfolk birds for use on this site.

“The website truly is a network of interrelated pages,” said Frisch. “There is a link for everything and a total wealth of information.” Freelance writer Kathryn Boughton is writing stories for the town’s email newsletter and these stories are linked into the website. Frisch is serving as webmaster, updating the pages as needed. “We are always looking for ways to improve and for people to help with the site,” said Frisch. Anyone with interest in commenting or submitting ideas is welcome to contact Frisch at webmaster@norfolkct.org.