In April, the town’s Parks & Recreation Department rolls out a new software program that will allow users to register and pay for activities online.

“The current process is very time-consuming,” said Parks & Rec Director Bo Potter. “It’s all done on paper now. People have to fill out forms and show up in person with cash or checks, then our clerk processes all the registrations and payments manually and enters everything into Excel and Word. It’s just not efficient. Most departments already have online registration and payment processing. Once we have ours in place, it’s going to be a valuable tool. It will really improve our customer service.”

The new software program, RecPro, allows a town’s parks and recreation department to set up classes, programs, sports leagues, trips, and special events on its website; accept credit card payments; set minimum and maximum enrollment numbers and registration due dates; establish pricing for residents, nonresidents, members, and nonmembers; give priority registration to residents and members; restrict enrollment by age and grade; assess late fees; offer multi-child, senior citizen, and other discounts; require waiver acceptance and other prerequisites; process electronic signatures, cancellations, and refunds; maintain waiting lists; and add participants to rosters. It also allows Parks & Recreation staff to maintain a contact database for program instructors.

Potter, who attended a RecPro orientation at a parks and recreation facility in Rhode Island, said staff training in the new software is taking place in March and will take three to five days. He expects online registration to go live sometime in April.

“We’re going to start with the registration,” said Potter. “This is our biggest headache right now.”

Eventually, he said, Parks & Rec will handle facility rentals, beach passes, and field scheduling online as well.

The total cost of the program is $15,000, which covers $7,500 for software, $3,500 in annual maintenance fees for the first three years, and $4,000 for setup and training. Most of the funding—$12,000—has already been allocated in capital, with the remaining $3,000 coming out of the Parks & Recreation Department’s budget. The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the RecPro software and service contract at its Feb. 24 meeting.