DUANE — Discussion of a plan to update the town’s website ended up offering two very different views of local officials’ visions for the future of their community.

Town resident Sue Glenny, who has taken the lead the town’s effort to make the town website more usable, told members of the town board they should adopt a formal policy governing the contents of a website before moving forward with its redevelopment. She said her research has found many recommendations from the state Association of Towns as to what should and should not be included in a municipal site, and she said the policy should address those potential problem areas.

One of the association’s recommendations — that municipalities should be careful about including any business postings that could be seen as endorsing a particular enterprise — touched off a sometimes heated debate that eventually ranged far beyond business listings.

Town Councilor Rita Gordon initially balked at that recommendation, saying the town’s existing site has carried advertisements for local businesses — a practice she would like to see continued. But Gordon later argued that the town must be cautious about posting any information that could attract visitors.

Residents of Duane came to the community because they want peace and quiet, Gordon said. An influx of visitors would fundamentally change the character of the town of 172 people in a way most residents would not want to see, she said.

Gordon cited recently vandalism on trails behind the Little White Church, which hosts weddings and other events that bring in people from outside the community, as an example of how drawing people to the town can be detrimental.

Town Supervisor Edward J. “Ned” LeMieux Sr. has long been a proponent of attracting new businesses to the muniicipality.

Councilor Mark Young took the argument one step further, questioning the need for a town website in the first place.

Many residents of Duane, which is in the Adirondack Park, have limited or even no access to the internet, Young pointed out. That status means a town website would not be of service to many of the people who live in the town, he said.

“Maybe in this little town, it’s not for us,” Young said.

Glenny argued that the website could provide valuable information for both residents and nonresidents and could be particularly useful in emergencies, when other sources of reliable information might be unavailable. The site could be accessed via cellphone, which would be available even in an extended power failure the noted.

“People do need resources … I think that it’s a public service,” Glenny said.

“This is an important link for safety,” she added.

The board postponed any decisions on the website until its next meeting, which will be held at 10 a.m. on Nov. 18 via Zoom. The board had been meeting in the vehicle bays of the town fire station in order to practice social distancing, but encroaching cold weather will make that impractical, and the town has no other suitable meeting space, LeMieux noted.

Somewhat ironically, information on how to access the meeting will be posted on the town’s website.