How the City of Clearwater Simplified the Advisory Board Application Process with Laserfiche

3 min read
  • Government
  • Customer Service
  • Document & Records Management

Laserfiche Solution Contributed By: Rosemarie Call, City Clerk, City of Clearwater, FL

With a population of over 110,000, the City of Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida.

Clearwater has over ten different advisory boards that serve the city. The purpose of an advisory board, which in some cities is known as a commission, is to advise the city council on various issues that affect the community. The board members provide community input and make sure that the city adheres to established guidelines. Advisory boards range in size but average between five and ten members. Each board has a different set of criteria that must be met by its members. In Clearwater, advisory board members serve four-year terms and can be re-appointed for a second term.

In the past, the advisory board application process was entirely paper-based. As a result, the city was often faced with not enough candidates for vacant spots on an advisory board.

The city used Laserfiche Forms to create an electronic application which has led to a larger and more diverse pool of candidates for advisory boards.

“In the old way, we wouldn’t be able to fill the vacancies sometimes. The process has improved in that we have a better, up to date pool of applicants for the boards.” said Rosemarie Call, City Clerk.

The electronic application form helps the city reach out to a younger demographic — a segment of the population that has previously not been engaged. A larger number of young people on the advisory boards equates to a different outlook on many issues and a better overall representation of the community.

“I’m seeing more people entering college or students moving back home after college who want to be more active in their community. They see that the city is adopting technology that they are used to, so it attracts them more.” said Call.

An Electronic Form Makes Advisory Boards More Accessible

The advisory board application form is now found on the city’s website. The candidate can select one or more advisory boards from a drop-down list. Depending on what option is selected, different items are required. For example, if a quasi-judicial board is selected, the candidate must upload proof of voter registration. All candidates must upload a proof of residency.

Applicants can apply for more than one advisory board through the electronic application form

In order to simplify filling it, the form has been divided into pages. Each page contains a different set of questions.

The electronic application form has been divided into different pages to make filling it out easier

Once the application form is submitted, Laserfiche Forms send an email notification to the city clerk. The clerk reviews the candidate’s information to make sure that it aligns with the criteria for the requested board.

If approved, the application is stored in a folder in the repository. Once a month, all applicants are added to the city council meeting agenda. All board members are appointed by the city council during a meeting.

If rejected, an email is sent out to the applicant with the reason for the rejection.

Once the item is added to the agenda, and the advisory board members have been appointed, the documents are moved to a different folder in Laserfiche for archival.

Submitted applications are stored in the Laserfiche repository

Applicants do not have to wait for a vacancy to apply for a position. They can apply at any time, and the application will be held until there is an opening on the particular board.

An Electronic Application Form Attracts More Applicants

By automating the advisory board application process with Laserfiche Forms, the city of Clearwater has increased the size of the advisory board candidate pool. The larger pool of candidates means that there are more diverse and qualified candidates to choose from.

The city is finding it easier to fill vacancies for some of the lesser known boards as well, by making them more visible to the public directly on the website.

center for digital government report automating the business of government

 

Watch a 2-Minute Demo

Discover how your organization can go paperless, manage digital content, automate day-to-day processes and more.

WATCH A DEMO
Take a Product Tour

Enable the teams closest to your business processes to evolve and transform how your organization gets things done.

PRODUCT TOUR

Related Blogs

Top Use Cases for Electronic Records Management
Top Use Cases for Document Management
Laserfiche Industry Experts Weigh in: Predictions for 2023
What Is a Document Repository and What Are the Benefits of Using One?
How Silverthorne, CO Awarded 92 Small Business Emergency Grants With the Help of Laserfiche

Book a Personalized Laserfiche Consultation Today