L  A S E R  F  I C H E The City of DeSoto,Texas is posting public records on the Internet in an effort to become a major provider of   e-government   services   for   its   constituents.  The records    are    accessible    from    its    web    site    via LaserFiche^® WebLink, an integrated scan-to-web docu- ment imaging and management solution. LaserFiche WebLink allows municipalities to post doc- uments on a site by running them through a scanner or  by  importing  electronic  documents  directly  into the  LaserFiche  database.  Currently,  DeSoto's Annual Budget,    Council    Minutes,   Agendas,    Resolutions, Ordinances    and    City    Charter    are    available    at www.ci.desoto.tx.us/weblink/. In   true   pioneer   spirit,   the   city   began   posting   its records on the Internet over a year ago. “DeSoto was a pioneer community in Dallas County in 1847 and DeSoto is a pioneer again by providing the availability of advanced records management technol- ogy   on   our   web   site,”   said   Anell   Shipman,   City Secretary. “We   were   spending   countless   hours   publishing   a paper   agenda   packet   plus   an   HTML   version   onto CD's.   Now it takes our Records Manager about 20 minutes to scan a 350-page agenda to our web site for our  Council  and  citizens  to  review,”  Shipman  said. “Also, the full-text search makes it easy to find infor- mation quickly.” Shipman cited a time when a citizen wanted to view all of the council minutes from the previous two years. Instead of paying for photocopies, he was able to view everything on the Web. “He was excited about it and thanked me for saving him money,”  Shipman said. DeSoto has seen environmental benefits as well. The city  was  recently  able  to  shred  over  10,000  lbs.  of “I think of LaserFiche as a tool that allows us to be inventive and creative.” Anell Shipman, City Secretary From left: Dianna Kuan, Managing Director of Information Technology, Deena  Nero,  Records  Management  Coordinator,  Anell  Shipman,  City Secretary, and Karen Kirby,Webmaster. paper. In  fact,  the  shredding  company  said  the  city saved  59  trees  in  one  year  alone  by  recycling  the unneeded paper. “We're getting rid of old paper and now we're generating less paper too,” Shipman said. Representatives  from  larger  cities  in  the  area  have been eager to look at the system. “When we provide them with a hands-on demonstration of how we use LaserFiche,  you  can  see  their  eyes  light  up  as  they think of all the possibilities for their offices. I think of LaserFiche as a tool that allows us to be inventive and creative.There are a lot of ways to use it.” ©2001 Compulink Management Center, Inc.  All rights reserved. LaserFiche is a registered trademark of Compulink Management Center, Inc. L  A S E R  F  I C H E City Puts Information at Citizens' Fingertips over the Internet Learn more about how document imaging and management can benefit your municipality. Contact   us   today   and   ask   for   your   free   guide, “Document Imaging in the New Millennium,” or go to www.laserfiche.com/or  and  download  it. This  helpful overview explains the 5 basics of document imaging, outlines 3 steps to implementing a system and includes an FAQ. Call:1-800-985-8533 E-mail: info@laserfiche.com