Project makes documents digital, subscription program, Big Horn Imaging Services

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Legal documents, including land documents such as deeds, plats and maps, long stored in the vault at the Weston County Courthouse are now available online through a subscription program, thanks to a scanning project with Big Horn Imaging Services that began in June 2017. According to County Clerk Jill Sellers, the Sheridan company turned 1,000 books into almost four terabytes of digital information and made them available online. 
Sellers reported on Oct. 16 to the Weston County Commissioners that the first revenue check was received from online subscriptions. She later told the News Letter Journal, following the Nov. 6 commissioners meeting, that the first payment was for $1,300 and that the amount was projected to increase. 
“The earnings report speaks for itself. By my calculations the investment made in the scanning project will probably return on itself in less than seven years based on this revenue report,” Sellers told the commissioners. 
She noted that the $125,000 spent moves the county’s document storage in the technology direction the world is moving in and ensures the records will be available digitally for years to come. 
“It is paying for itself with the people taking advantage of this service,” Sellers said. 
According to Sellers, the online access has mainly been used by companies not located in the immediate area who need to access documents for different reasons. Sellers specifically cited companies in the oil and gas field. 
In follow-up comments with the News Letter Journal, Sellers said that the fees associated with the online access depends on how long users want access and what they need access to. Pay schedules are available through Sellers at the Weston County Clerk’s office. 
According to Sellers, the project is in its second phase, which involves making the documents searchable. Users cannot yet search for information. 
“We are putting all of the indices on the website so that you can do that same research you would do in the vault,” Sellers said. 
At the commissioner’s meeting, Assessor Tina Conklin asked what the time frame was for searchable documents. She noted that the program is currently not as user friendly as it could be. 
Sellers said that the goal is to have phase two completed by the end of the year, and that the goal was to have the documents searchable within 45 to 50 days. 
“The original proposal was phased operations. This next phase is the hosting and subscription, and making it searchable for people and companies,” Sellers said. 
Other benefits to the project include the curating of the entire vault and less wear and tear on the documents housed in the vault, Sellers said. She noted that it also lessens staff interruptions throughout the day. 
“It (the project) has obvious benefits for the direction all recordings are going to eventually go,” Sellers said. 
Chairman Tony Barton stated that one could assume that the revenue received from the online subscriptions would increase once the second phase is complete and the documents are searchable. 
Sellers told the commissioners that Converse County receives between $28,000 and $40,000 a month in revenue from online vault use. 
“It definitely has a value to the companies that need this information,” Sellers said. 
She noted that as far as future documents go, the clerk’s office already scans new documents and has since 2000. 
“This project has not changed the clerk’s procedures at all. We have been doing digital images for present-day documents. This project went back historically,” Sellers said. 
Sellers noted on Nov. 6 during the commissioners meeting that Big Horn Imaging will be at the Nov. 20 commissioners meeting to talk about the future of the program and the software service agreement associated with the ongoing support of the online documents. This discussion will include, Sellers said, the costs associated with the online storage of the documents. 
According to the county’s website, Weston County’s recorded documents are now available on the web at Weston County Land Records [link on website] allowing customers to subscribe and gain access, to view, download and/or print images.  Those interested in purchasing an account are instructed to contact Big Horn Imaging LLC at 307-461-8800.