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Shelton to streamline staff onboarding, digitize public records as part of 2026 work plan
Summary
City officials outlined a 2026 administration work plan that prioritizes employee recruitment and retention, reintroducing NeoGov for onboarding, and a large-scale public-records digitization of address files to reduce liability and improve public access.
City Manager Mark presented Shelton’s 2026 administration work plan at the council’s Feb. 10 study session, saying the city will shorten department presentations and focus staff time on priority projects. He told the council the city “won’t spend the 45 minutes or hour or so that we did the last couple meetings” on routine updates and outlined several initiatives to improve internal operations and public access to records.
The plan directs staff to expand employee recruitment and retention efforts and to reintegrate the NeoGov hiring platform into the onboarding process. The administration said NeoGov’s Insight module will allow new hires to complete W-4 and direct-deposit forms before their start date so first-day time can be used for orientation and policy training rather than paperwork. Mark said the platform is an investment but one that should save staff time during onboarding.
A major records-management project is also scheduled for 2026. Staff described a multi-month effort to review address files held behind the customer service counter — paper files that contain building permits, code-enforcement records and land-use applications — and either digitize them or properly dispose of them under state retention rules. Mark said the city previously applied for an archives scanning grant but was not successful and intends to begin the work without waiting for future grant cycles. Officials noted coordination with Mason County staff, who have undertaken similar digitization efforts.
Why it matters: Digitizing records aims to reduce liability, speed public-records responses and free office space. Administration said the project could eliminate redundant searches across paper files and the permitting database, improve the public’s ability to obtain copies, and reduce the city’s physical storage needs.
Council members pressed staff on specific tools and next steps. Finance and IT leaders signaled parallel investments in enterprise systems — including a Tyler Enterprise budgeting module — to reduce reliance on Excel spreadsheets. The administration also emphasized training and succession planning so departments are not left “one deep” when an employee is absent.
What’s next: Staff will return with more detailed study-session materials on public-works data sets and will continue to refine a digitization plan and a recommended approach to NeoGov deployment.
