TITLE
Title
HOLD PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION ELECTRONIC NOTICE ORDINANCE (PUBLICATION OF LEGAL ADVERTISEMENTS)
end
SPONSOR
Sponsor
Mark Payne, County Attorney/Robin Keller, Clerk to Board
end
BACKGROUND
Background
On August 3, 2017 the Board voted to approve a resolution in support of modernizing the publication of legal Advertisements in Guilford County, and upon the General Assembly's passage of Session
Law 181, selecting Guilford County as a pilot program that authorizes both certain local governments and Guilford County to publish all required legal notices electronically via the county-maintained website for a fee. The Guilford County Legal Notices Project seeks to implement the first of a three phase process toward the utilization of the Guilford County website in lieu of media publication. Phase one of the project is expected to go live upon adoption of the ordinance, which will include:
1. Manual internal email process for notice submission
2. Forms to upload notices to website
3. External Webpage to display notices
4. Notices sorted by category and searchable by key criteria
5. Sections for active and archived notices
6. Ability and access to generate affidavits
7. Ability and access to attach supporting documentation
8. Ability and access to print notices and attachments
Additional implementation Phases, which include the addition of local municipal and external legal notices may require the addition of part-time staffing support based upon demand. Several local municipalities have contacted the Clerk's office for an anticipated start date for Phase 2. Any future costs associated with Phase 2 and 3 are anticipated to be fully offset by expected revenue associated with external advertising allowed for in the Session Law. Financial impacts of phase 2 and 3 will be reviewed upon the implementation of each phase of the project.
Guilford County expended roughly $70,970 during the current fiscal year, upon implementation of Phase 1 theses costs will be drastically reduced annually. Upon implementation of the proposed ordinance, the County will still retain the option to publish in newspapers when prudent and in the best interest of communicating information to the public. The functionality of utilizing online publication in a single portal, which is both searchable and archiveable, is expected to bring added ease of access to information to the public and transparency regarding public business. The Project also offers significant ongoing cost saving options for municipalities in Guilford County who choose to utilize the County's website.
end
BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY DOLLARS AT THIS TIME
end
REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Hold public hearing and consider adoption of Ordinance authorizing the e-filing of public legal notices to be effective upon adoption.
end