City of Imperial Beach, CA Cuts Records Processing Time in Half with NextRequest

Overview

The City of Imperial Beach, located in Southern California, is a small coastal community covering only 5 square miles. It is known for its laid-back atmosphere and proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border, making it unique among other cities in San Diego County. The community faces shared issues with neighboring Mexico, contributing to its distinct cultural and governmental landscape.

In the City Clerk’s Department, Senior Administrative Assistant Sunem Carballo is responsible for maintaining official city records, including City Council meeting minutes, agreements, and building permits. This department also processes public records requests, a task that was previously handled manually.

The Challenge

Before implementing NextRequest, the City of Imperial Beach’s records management process was largely manual. Sunem described the previous system as time-consuming and cumbersome:

The Solution and Impact

NextRequest has revolutionized the city’s approach to managing public records requests. Since implementing NextRequest, the City of Imperial Beach has seen a dramatic improvement in the efficiency of their records management process. Time spent processing public records requests has been reduced by more than half and the automated features have reduced the burden on staff, improving overall productivity.

With approximately 350 records requests processed annually, the Clerk’s Department has embraced NextRequest as an essential tool in managing the city’s public records. The platform’s intuitive interface, automated follow-ups, and document storage capabilities have empowered the department to provide faster, more reliable service to residents, while also reducing paper waste and administrative overhead.

Key Benefits Experienced

Time Savings: “The biggest difference for us with NextRequest is the time savings factor. I don’t have to create a log anymore since all the information comes directly from the requester and is put directly into NextRequest. I can run reports from there, which saves a lot of time.”

• Previously, the manual process could take up to an hour for redactions and letter preparation, whereas now it takes just 5 to 8 minutes. This has resulted in an estimated 60% reduction in processing time.

Improved Efficiency: “The automation part of it has saved a lot of time. Follow-ups with staff are now handled through the system, which sends reminders and ensures timely responses.”

• Streamlined processes and automated follow-ups have enhanced overall productivity. The ability to upload and store documents electronically has eliminated the need for physical storage and handling, making the process smoother and more efficient.

Cost Savings: “We used to have to file, staple, and put everything in order. So we’re definitely saving on a lot of paper.”

• Reduced paper costs and physical storage contribute to continued operational efficiency.

User-Friendly Interface: “I was pleasantly surprised at how user-friendly NextRequest is. It kind of looks like a smartphone, with icons that do exactly what you expect them to do.”

• This ease of use has allowed the Clerk’s Department to adapt quickly, even when processing large volumes of documents.

Enhanced Customer Service: “Customer service has been really great. Whenever I have a question or don’t understand something, I shoot an email to the NextRequest team and they get back to me pretty quick.”

• Fast, responsive customer support has helped the city navigate any challenges and maximize the system’s capabilities.

Streamlined Communication: “The message templates feature has been really great. Instead of creating letters for each request, I can use pre-set templates and just tweak them as needed.”

• The message templates save time by reducing the need to write repetitive responses, allowing staff to focus on higher-priority tasks.

Long-Term Storage: “I also like the fact that the documents are forever stored in NextRequest. It’s really convenient not to be digging through stacks of paper to find what I need.”

• Secure, long-term digital storage has reduced the hassle of managing physical documents and provided easy access to archived records when needed.

Looking to the Future

Looking ahead, Sunem remains optimistic about the continued partnership with CivicPlus and NextRequest:

The City of Imperial Beach’s adoption of NextRequest represents a significant leap forward in public records management. The time and cost savings, combined with enhanced efficiency and user-friendly features, underscore NextRequest’s role as a valuable tool for modernizing municipal record-keeping.