COLUMBIANA COUNTY Upgrade speeds records process

A months-long backlog has been pared to a little more than a week.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Recording vital documents such as mortgages, deeds and military discharge records is a county government function dating back to the 19th century.
Like many activities, this longtime task is benefiting from technology, said Columbiana County Recorder Jeff Hochadel.
Earlier this year, the recorder's office bought about $144,000 worth of software and hardware to make the department's operations more efficient.
The move has slashed the time it takes for the office to accept a document from the public, record it and mail it back to its owner.
A few years ago, the chore used to take about seven months. It now takes about 10 days, Hochadel said Friday.
The time may be trimmed to less than five days as the recorder's staff of five full-timers and one part-timer gains proficiency in using the software, he added.
Scanned and stored
The biggest factor in reducing recording time is the equipment that allows documents to be scanned into a computer and stored digitally on compact discs.
Previously, recorder office workers had to copy documents on a copier and then insert the copies into thick binders.
The switch to scanning and CD storage may not sound significant, but when you consider that each day the recorder's office processes about 200 documents, some of them numbering dozens of pages, even small labor-saving steps can have a dramatic impact, Hochadel said.
Storing documents on CDs also means the office no longer will have to use binders, which cost $50 each.
Doing away with binders saves space, which is at a premium in the crowded courthouse.
Even more technological advances are planned for the office, Hochadel said.
Web site
In the spring, the recorder's office will be going online through a Web site that will enable the public to access thousands of recorded documents without having to visit the courthouse.
The Internet presence is expected to cost a few hundred dollars monthly, which can be paid for from the department's equipment fund, Hochadel said.
The fund is supplied with fees charged for recording documents. It's the same source used earlier this year to buy the software and hardware.
The recorder's office charges $28 to record the first two pages of a document.
Each additional page is $8.
leigh@vindy.com