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Commissioners debate digitizing decades of county maps and how scanned files become public record
Summary
Staff proposed donating archived construction maps to the county archives and scanning older maps; commissioners and the clerk discussed whether scanned records would become public and how to control access so title-searching services could not misuse digitized records.
The commission discussed a plan to digitize old road-construction plans and maps and to donate hard copies to a local museum/archives.
Staff said the maps have been in storage and the Asheville Museum & Archives offered to accept originals; county records staff recommended scanning the maps to preserve them and to make retrieval easier. Commissioners and the clerk raised questions about public-record status for scanned files and potential implications for title-search businesses; one commissioner said legal access controls must be considered before making scans publicly searchable online. "If it becomes public record...you go from the book to a computer and then you can't control who performs title searches," the Chair warned while discussing possible risks of digitization.
Records staff said they plan to keep some scanned files in an internal, office-only system that would require in-office access for public searches; commissioners asked staff to provide a clear plan for what will be held behind in-office terminals versus what will be posted publicly.
