Massachusetts town putting off renovations until files can be found

When files in nearly any industry cannot be found, the results could be dire. In a legal setting, if court files pertaining to an ongoing case are lost, a judge could declare a mistrial. If patient records are misplaced in a doctor's office, a family's financial standing could be compromised when records of a payment can't be referenced.

Town officials are experiencing this type of situation in Winchester, Massachusetts. The local high school has needed to be remodeled for some time, but lawmakers can't decide if that includes a new facility, an addition or a simple renovation, according to Wicked Local. However, unless documents are found, this will remain up for debate.

The files in question hold information about the composition of the building's foundation. Without these, the news provider explained, a $200,000 to $250,000 seismic test would have to be run, something that can't be done in conjunction with a building project without extra state funding. Without the test, the building may not be up to code, and could be unstable.

This would not be a question if such important files were saved via electronic means using a document management system. This often comes in handy at the government level, where town ordinances, codes and public information can be made available to any party that needs it quickly and efficiently.

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