HIstoric District Prioritizes Efficiency & Compliance Through Document Conversion
Sharing their space with a local food pantry and relying on off-site storage in the Town of Urbana, Clerk-Treasurer Christina L.N. Watson knew something had to change.
At the annual New York State Conference of Mayors, Christina consistently heard the same message: municipalities must prioritize converting paper records to digital for both compliance and efficiency. With a vision to streamline their operations and modernize recordkeeping, Hammondsport made it a goal to start scanning their documents annually, setting aside funds each year to support the effort.
Although they were already an HIG client for copier services, Christina wasn’t initially aware of the full scope of solutions HIG offered. After a conversation with their account representative, Brooke, she quickly learned that document conversion was well within HIG’s expertise – and backed by local service and support.
With a starting budget of $10,000 and a “do not exceed” approach, HIG helped the Village digitize approximately 50 boxes of records, including:
- Water Department Journals
- Election Materials
- Permit Applications
- Insurance Documentation
- And More
Christina praised the simple and seamless process. “Everything worked out great,” she shared. “It was a good experience, and we now have fewer boxes!”
From start to finish, the project was customized to fit Hammondsport’s needs. To cut costs, the Village delivered their records to HIG’s Elmira office rather than using secure pickup. Michael from the HIG team even flagged documents in a few boxes that didn’t need to be scanned, saving the client money yet again.
Once digitized, Christina received two backup drives: one stored onsite and the other offsite for disaster recovery. The original documents were securely destroyed by HIG.
Having digital access to their records has already improved daily operations simply by reclaiming the storage space. It will also streamline processes – particularly when handling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests or referencing past permits and applications.
When asked if she’d recommend HIG to other organizations? Christina replied,“I already did!”
