Rockland Adopts First-Ever Artificial Intelligence Policy to Govern Municipal Technology Use
ROCKLAND - October 21 - The Rockland Select Board unanimously approved the town’s first artificial intelligence policy on Tuesday, establishing ethical guidelines and data protection standards as the municipality integrates AI technology into daily operations. The policy, developed collaboratively by IT Director Geno and senior staff, aims to enhance efficiency while maintaining human oversight and protecting sensitive resident information.
The Full Story
IT Director Geno presented the comprehensive AI policy to the Select Board, explaining that the framework was developed in collaboration with Town Administrator Doug Lapp, Courtney Bjorgaard, HR Director Lori Taylor, and the town’s managed service provider. The policy draws on established cybersecurity frameworks including the National Institute of Standards for Technology (NIST) and the Center for Internet Security (CIS).
The policy defines artificial intelligence as “a technology solution, system, or machine that is meant to mimic human intelligence to perform tasks by iteratively improving itself on the information it collects.” It specifically addresses generative AI, which can create original content including text, images, audio, video, and software code.
Geno emphasized the policy’s core principle of maintaining human oversight. “Our municipalities, other municipalities are leveraging AI for operational efficiency, making it essential for Rockland to remain in on plane with everybody,” he told the board. The policy incorporates governance and ethical considerations with requirements for human oversight, compliance with public transparency laws, and adherence to data protection principles.
A critical component of the policy addresses prohibited data, specifically protecting dates of birth, social security numbers, and other sensitive personal information. Select Board member Lori Childs asked what accountability exists if prohibited data somehow enters the system. Geno explained that tools like Microsoft CoPilot include built-in buffers to restrict certain data usage, and the town’s version does not have internet access, keeping it largely locked down internally.
Select Board member Steve O’Donnell contextualized the significance of the policy adoption. “AI in itself will hold data for its own uses. And it says it purges periodically, but AI is also shown to protect itself if it knows it’s being shut down,” he said. “It’s important that we have guardrails around AI. It truly is the next great technology. I think the most recent technology that is even close to this is the evolution of the internet. It’s this big.”
O’Donnell added that implementing the policy positions Rockland favorably: “The fact that we’re getting ahead of this, putting guardrails in place, and allowing our staff to start to use this technology keeps Rockland up to date with the times, allows us to be much more efficient, and really open up new opportunities and new ideas for the town.”
The policy identifies approved uses including creating templates and forms, with mandatory oversight and review to ensure accuracy of AI-generated content. It establishes a task force to review implementation and designates points of contact for staff questions. Geno serves as the primary contact, supported by the managed service provider.
Town Administrator Lapp praised Geno’s proactive leadership. “Geno started with the AI policy, and he named everybody else first. But, I mean, he led that whole initiative,” Lapp said. “I appreciate him being proactive, not just with all the other stuff, but also things like the AI policy.”
During his broader IT update, Geno reported on two major initiatives funded by approximately $55,000 in federal and state grants. The first is a data loss prevention system to safeguard sensitive town data including resident information, financial records, and internal documents transmitted via email, cloud systems, or other digital platforms. “It’s basically about preventing accidental leaks, not employee monitoring,” Geno clarified. “It’s about protecting, releasing social security numbers and such.”
The second initiative is an incident response plan for cybersecurity events such as phishing attacks or ransomware attempts. “The town is working proactively, not reactively on this,” Geno explained. The plan includes coordination across all town departments and provides a structured playbook to respond quickly, limit damage, and restore operations safely. The department has conducted one tabletop exercise with plans for a more in-depth second exercise.
Lapp highlighted Geno’s broader cybersecurity accomplishments, noting that his efforts enabled the town to obtain cybersecurity insurance for the first time after years of being unable to secure coverage. “Geno’s worked very hard over the last couple of years to put a lot of resources in place so that we’re finally able to get cybersecurity insurance from our insurance company because we weren’t able to do that for years and years before,” Lapp said. Insurance companies require extensive documentation and independent verification of security measures before providing coverage.
Lapp also emphasized the challenges of operating as a one-person IT department. “If you think about it, whether it’s the middle of the night, whether he’s on vacation, whether he’s sick, you know, that’s when things always break or have problems. And he doesn’t have a whole team of people to rely on,” he said.
Geno supports approximately 200 users across town hall departments, fire, Council on Aging, highway, parks and recreation, the joint waterworks, and police department. He works with an IT coordinator at the police station and specialists at the fire department for their unique needs, but otherwise handles support with the managed service provider for 24/7 departments.
Additional ongoing IT projects include hardware updates, network security maintenance, planning for technology implementation at the new fire station project, and researching grant funding for digital documentation projects. The installation of a generator at town hall is also moving forward, which Geno said will provide peace of mind during power outages. Currently, the town has only 30 minutes of backup power before risking data loss.
Select Board member Tiffanie Needham thanked Gino for his responsiveness. “For all that you do oversee and for all that you enable to happen on a daily basis because of your talent and your oversight, you are still always readily available for, you know, any of our tech needs or whatnot,” she said. “It’s not often that we do see you up here and are able to say thank you.”
In other business, the board celebrated the promotion of Patrick Sammon to Lieutenant in the Rockland Fire Department. Sammon, a lifelong Rockland resident and son of retired Fire Chief Michael Sammon, was sworn in by Assistant Town Clerk Christine Campanile. Fire Chief Duffy noted that Salmon graduated from UMass Amherst with a journalism degree, served as Deputy Chief of the UMass Student Fire Department, and was hired by Rockland on September 1, 2013. His wife Aisling placed his collar pins, while his father presented his official lieutenant’s badge.
Select Board Chair Mike O’Loughlin praised the Sammon family’s tradition of service. “It’s been a tradition, entrenched in this town, to have salmon in a leadership role in the fire department, and I’m thrilled that we have them back up there again,” he said. “We appreciate all the hard work up to this point, and what you can do in the future for us.”
The board approved a toll booth fundraiser for Rockland High School athletics, scheduled for Saturday, November 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at three locations: Hingham Street, Center Avenue, and the intersection of North Avenue and Salem Street. Athletic Director Dan Kimball explained that the fundraiser, which ran regularly from the 1990s through the mid-2010s, will support seasonal banquets, senior night events, senior sweatshirts, and other athletic programs. Police officers will be stationed at each location to direct traffic while student-athletes request donations.
The board also granted a one-day liquor license to the Friends of Rockland Memorial Library for their annual member appreciation reception. Library Foundation President Karen Haffner detailed the organization’s extensive programming, including fundraising events, summer reading support, museum passes, author talks, theatrical presentations, and the Art in the Rotunda gallery. She emphasized that membership donations remain the largest funding source for library programs.
Town Administrator Lapp reported receiving ten proposals for the fire station building project owner’s project manager position, calling it “a large number of firms” including several high-quality organizations experienced with such projects. He expects to have an OPM on board within weeks. The deadline for proposals on the Pleasant Street landfill redevelopment and capping project is October 24, with Lapp noting significant interest and multiple deadline extensions at bidders’ requests.
Lapp announced development of the town’s first remote work and telecommuting policy, which he and the HR Director are preparing for Select Board review in November. “We think it’s important, given the way things have evolved in technology and being productive, but also similar to the AI policy we adopted, making sure there’s appropriate structure to hold everyone accountable,” he said.
Lapp made an urgent appeal for volunteers for the rent control board, which has not achieved a quorum for several months. “Work is not getting done, and there’s potential legal liability for not being able to get a quorum and hold a meeting,” he warned. Vice Chair Lori Childs emphasized the board’s importance, noting concerns from seniors at the senior center and Leisure Woods about potential rent increases. “This is a stunningly important volunteer position,” she said.
Multiple board members reflected on the Mullen Park dedication ceremony held over the weekend, honoring fallen firefighter William Mullen. Chair Mike O’Loughlin noted observing a pedestrian stop to read the monument, saying it demonstrated how the park preserves Mullen’s story and sacrifice for future generations.
Why It Matters
The adoption of Rockland’s first artificial intelligence policy establishes critical guardrails as municipalities increasingly integrate AI technology into operations. The policy protects residents’ sensitive personal information while allowing town staff to leverage AI tools for improved efficiency in creating documents, analyzing data, and streamlining services. By implementing ethical standards and human oversight requirements now, Rockland positions itself at the forefront of responsible municipal technology adoption, balancing innovation with accountability and transparency. The complementary cybersecurity initiatives provide additional protection for resident data and ensure the town can respond effectively to digital threats, while the achievement of cybersecurity insurance demonstrates measurable improvements in the town’s technology infrastructure security.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve meeting minutes from October 7, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:01:27)
Motion: Approve toll booth fundraiser for Rockland High School Athletics on November 1, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:11:54)
Motion: Approve one-day liquor license for Friends of Rockland Memorial Library member appreciation reception. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:16:03)
Motion: Approve Artificial Intelligence Use Policy. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:23:37)
Motion: Enter executive session per MGL Chapter 30A, Section 21A.3 to discuss collective bargaining strategy (AFSCME Council 93, Highland Parks) and per Section 21A.2 for contract negotiations with non-union personnel (Town Administrator, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief); not to reconvene. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous by roll call. (Timestamp: 00:44:00)
Public Comment
No public comment period was held during this meeting. Presentations were made by department heads and organizational representatives but no general public comment was taken.
What’s Next
The IT Department will implement the newly adopted AI policy with ongoing oversight from the established task force. The town will continue reviewing proposals for the fire station owner’s project manager position with selection expected within weeks. Proposals for the Pleasant Street landfill project are due October 24. The remote work and telecommuting policy will be presented to the Select Board in November. The town continues seeking volunteers for the rent control board to achieve quorum and resume operations. Fire Department Appreciation Day will be held Saturday, October 25 at 8 a.m. at the fire station. The Select Board’s next meeting is scheduled for November 4, 2025.
Full meeting available via WRPS at youtube.com/WRPSRockland.