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Duval city clerk outlines digital transition, public‑records backlog and FirstNet rollout
Summary
City Clerk John Vero told council his new clerk office work plan centers on CivicRec reservations, NextRequest public‑records processing, NeoGov hiring consolidation, shredding long‑retained records, SharePoint migration and exploring FirstNet for priority cellular service and device management.
John Vero, Duval’s city clerk, presented the city clerk office’s 2025 work plan on May 20, describing technology upgrades and operational changes aimed at modernizing records, improving public‑records response and migrating services to cloud platforms.
Vero said the clerk’s office — recently established as its own department — has implemented CivicRec for facility reservations (108 reservations completed so far) and is working toward adding field reservations and online invoicing. He reported the city’s mobile app (referred to as GOCOV/Goga in the presentation) has about 610 downloads and said staff plan summer promotions to increase use.
The clerk’s office is using NextRequest for public‑records requests; Vero said 59 requests had been received through April 30 and 54 closed, and that May alone presented 34 requests through the first 20 days of the month. He described a plan to expand NextRequest use and monthly audits so responses can be produced more efficiently and accurately for JLARC and other reporting needs.
Other priorities Vero described: consolidating recruitment and applicant tracking in NeoGov to centralize hiring workflows; cleaning up the shared drive and off‑site records (he reported 267 boxes in off‑site storage and said staff removed about 50 boxes last year); scanning and contracting for printer/scanning services; and accelerating a phased migration of selected files to SharePoint to protect critical documents and improve access.
Vero also discussed mobile devices and emergency communications. He said the city is exploring a move from the current Verizon management platform to FirstNet for priority cellular service and a more modern mobile device manager. A council member noted FirstNet provides priority access in emergencies and praised the potential benefits for resilience.
Staffing and transition work: Vero said clerk staff are transitioning responsibilities, including expanding Deputy Clerk Kelsey’s role on public records, improving monthly NextRequest audits, and creating a repository of interview and HR materials. He also said the clerk’s office is assisting city administration with policy drafting and municipal code updates.
Ending: Council members and the city administrator thanked the clerk’s office for progress on records management and technology improvements; the council asked staff to return with updates on the SharePoint migration and FirstNet deployment plans.
