Manteca, CA Cuts Processing Times and Enhances Public Access with NextRequest

Overview

The City of Manteca, California, located at the intersection of the Central Valley and the Bay Area, is a vibrant, rapidly growing community. With an influx of new residents, Manteca has evolved into a dynamic area needing efficient government operations to support its residents and ensure transparency. To manage this growth, Director of Legislative Services/City Clerk Cassandra Candini-Tilton implemented NextRequest to streamline the city’s public records request process, designating Assistant City Clerk Marco Martinez to manage the system.

Challenges

Before implementing NextRequest, Manteca’s records management process was entirely manual. The Clerk’s office tracked incoming records requests in an Excel sheet, relied on email for internal communication with other departments, and processed record redactions and releases using various disconnected tools. This setup resulted in:

• Time-consuming Processes: Tracking requests manually and managing records through email contributed to inefficiencies and delays. Requests would take an average of two days for initial responses and ten additional days for fulfillment.
• Coordination Difficulties: Sharing records with other departments and retrieving data was challenging and slowed the response process.

Solution: NextRequest Implementation

In 2022, Manteca adopted NextRequest, recommended by the Assistant City Manager, who had used the platform previously. After a positive demo experience and seamless onboarding, NextRequest quickly became a vital tool in the city’s records management workflow.

Results

NextRequest transformed Manteca’s records request process, offering the following benefits:

• Automated Acknowledgments and Faster Responses: Initial acknowledgments are now automated, ensuring immediate responses to requestors. With all communication and document handling within the platform, the average time for completing requests from start to finish has been cut significantly.
• Centralized Records and Communication: NextRequest provides a single, accessible location for all records and communications, making it easy to track request history and department interactions. The redaction feature allows records to be edited, redacted, and released from within the platform, saving time and ensuring compliance.
• Enhanced Public Accessibility and Transparency: Since implementing NextRequest, Manteca made the NextRequest link public on its webpage, resulting in increased governmental transparency and an increase in incoming public requests.

Key Features and Benefits

Martinez highlighted the following features of NextRequest that have been particularly valuable:

• Integrated Redaction Tools: With pre-set redaction codes and a system for applying government codes directly, redacting and releasing records has become more efficient.

“One of the features that I’ve been using quite often is the redaction features that NextRequest offers. We have it already set up with our redaction reasoning for why we’re redacting certain things. We can redact documents and apply codes directly within the platform, which is much more efficient than dragging and dropping from your e-mail to your desktop, redacting, and then uploading them again,” says Martinez.

• Device Flexibility: Martinez can access and work in NextRequest from any device, allowing him to manage deadlines easily:

“I really like that I can work on NextRequest really from anywhere… that portability of the system, the way that you can use it anywhere with any device is really amazing,” he says.

• Responsive Customer Support: Martinez expressed appreciation for NextRequest customer service, noting quick response times and strong follow-up support:

“The support from NextRequest has been fantastic. The team is super responsive and always follows up with a solution,” he says.

Looking Ahead

With NextRequest, the City of Manteca has established a streamlined and accessible records management system that supports the city’s growth and commitment to transparency. The City looks forward to working with NextRequest and CivicPlus to further refine the platform, sharing insights and suggestions for enhancements with the goal of continuing to improve the city’s service to its residents.