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Commissioners approve $25,000 to begin multi-year digitization of county records
Summary
The commission approved $25,000 to start digitizing county records, with staff saying the full project could cost around $200,000 and likely will be phased department-by-department over multiple years.
The county commissioners unanimously approved a $25,000 appropriation to begin digitizing Sagadahoc County records.
County staff described the county’s paper records backlog as extensive — stored in basements and other locations — and said a full digitization effort would be a large multi-year project likely costing closer to $200,000. Staff reported they had reached out to two vendors for firm estimates and expected to phase the work by department rather than attempt a single large conversion.
Supporters told the commission digitization would improve public access and transparency, ease Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) responses and reduce the time staff spend locating physical records. Commissioners approved the $25,000 as a start-up appropriation to allow contracting and initial work in one or two departments.
Why it matters: digitization would create a searchable records system that county staff said will speed routine requests and reduce labor-intensive paper searches.
