Delaware County approves recorder system migration and funds for land-records scanning to comply with SB 94

Delaware County commissioners on Feb. 27 approved a system migration agreement for the county recorder and a supplemental appropriation to pay for back scanning of land records so the county can pursue reimbursement under state Senate Bill 94.

The actions were taken during a regular meeting of the Delaware County Board of Commissioners where Melissa Jordan, Delaware County Recorder, described a planned vendor change and a June 2025 go‑live date for the new system. “We are in the process of moving to a new vendor. And this is just the beginning stages of that,” Jordan said. She told commissioners the new vendor is Ohio‑based and that the county’s current vendor had been acquired by a Canadian company, which led to ongoing problems.

Why it matters: SB 94 includes a deadline and limited funds intended to help counties get land records online; Jordan said the county is paying now to complete back scanning so it can submit an invoice and qualify for state reimbursement. County staff described the supplemental appropriation as a transfer from the recorder’s self‑generating technology fund into the recorder’s operating fund to pay for the scanning work ahead of the state’s timeline.

Most important facts: The migration agreement with Document Technology Systems Limited allows the new vendor to work with county IT and the current vendor to transfer data and prepare for a June 2025 go‑live. Jordan said the new vendor offers cloud‑based services and security features aligned with county IT preferences and expects the move will enable electronic filing of conveyances required under SB 94. On the financing side, commissioners approved a supplemental appropriation to cover the immediate cost of back scanning so the county can be “in line” for reimbursement under SB 94; Jordan said an invoice must be submitted before the middle of next year to be eligible.

Board direction and next steps: Commissioners also acknowledged receipt of the recorder’s proposal for acquisition or maintenance of micrographic equipment and established a future date to meet with the recorder to review that proposal. Jordan and county staff indicated they will return to the board to adjust budget line items (moving some amounts into the technology fund) and to present a timeline and specific numbers for the equipment and staffing needs tied to the revised code authority to fund technology and related staff.

Discussion highlights and constraints: Jordan emphasized security and compliance, saying the new vendor had “foresight with security and cloud based services and kind of in line with what our IT department would like to see.” Commissioners described the supplemental appropriation as proactive; no additional funding sources or dollar amounts for the appropriation were specified in the meeting record. The board did not take public comment during the portion of the meeting that covered these items.

Ending: The board approved the recorder migration agreement, the supplemental appropriation, and the plan to review the micrographic proposal and recessed later into an executive session to consider a matter described in the motion as “pending or imminent communication.”

Votes at a glance - Resolution 25‑144 — Approve system migration agreement between Document Technology Systems Limited and the Delaware County Board of Commissioners (for the Recorder). Vote: Mrs. Lewis — Aye; Mr. Merrill — Aye. Outcome: approved. - Resolution 25‑145 — Approve supplemental appropriation to fund back scanning (transfer from recorder self‑generating tech fund to operating fund). Vote: Mr. Merrill — Aye; Mrs. Lewis — Aye. Outcome: approved. - Resolution 25‑146 — Acknowledge receipt of recorder’s proposal for acquisition/maintenance of micrographic equipment and set date to meet with recorder to review proposal. Vote: Mrs. Lewis — Aye; Mr. Merrill — Aye. Outcome: approved.

Other board business (also approved during the meeting) - Resolution 25‑140 — Approve electronic record of proceedings from the regular meeting held 02/24/2025. Vote: Mrs. Lewis — Aye; Mr. Merrill — Aye; Mr. Benton — absent. Outcome: approved. - Resolution 25‑141 — Approve purchase orders, contracts and payments of warrants (batch APR0226). Vote: Mrs. Lewis — Aye; Mr. Merrill — Aye. Outcome: approved. - Resolution 25‑142 — Forward liquor license application from Lerner’s Country Gathering (doing business as The Homestead of Radnor) to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control with no objection and no request for hearing. Vote: Mr. Merrill — Aye; Mrs. Lewis — Aye. Outcome: forwarded with no objection. - Resolution 25‑143 — Forward liquor license application from 8703 Owen Field Incorporated to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control with no objection and no request for hearing. Vote: Mrs. Lewis — Aye; Mr. Merrill — Aye. Outcome: forwarded with no objection. - Resolution 25‑147 — Adjourn into executive session “in the matter of adjourning into executive a consideration of pending or imminent communication.” Vote: Mrs. Lewis — Aye; Mr. Merrill — Aye. Outcome: approved; meeting recessed into executive session.