Michigan Clerk of the Year 2006 Ann Ulrich, Hartland Township

Three years ago, Ann Ulrich, Hartland Township Clerk, foresaw the problems that would result from the increasing foot traffic and heavy constituent use of minute books, and she decided that an electronic document imaging system was needed in the Township office. Since her election in 2000, Ann has been an advocate of proactively using technology-based solutions, such as the Internet and electronic document management software, to enable the records entrusted to her to be readily available to the public. After extensive investigation of document imaging systems, Ann made the decision to purchase the Laserfiche® Document Management System from General Code.

The increase in development has also increased interest in reviewing and copying Township Board meeting minutes, Township records, and related information. “Prior to Laserfiche, we were getting requests from staff and residents daily for information contained in the minute books, Planning Commission minutes, etc. My deputy or I would have to get the minute books out of storage and find the information. It was very time consuming.”

Located 30 miles south of Flint and 30 miles north of Ann Arbor, the Township has experienced considerable growth over the past few years

Implementation of the Laserfiche system has benefited the Township’s staff and the community in several key ways:

• Instantaneous access to information contained in meeting minutes, Township records, and more.
  
  
• Easier access to answers for the increased number of questions that have arisen as a result of development efforts.
  
• Significantly improved management of municipal records and communication between Township departments.
  
  
• Minimized wear and tear on books containing meeting minutes.

Initially, three staff members used the Laserfiche system; today it resides on 14 desktops in the Hartland Township Office, providing both employees and residents with a reliable document management system that helps the Township run smoothly. “I chose Laserfiche over other systems, mostly because of the General Code staff,” Ann notes. “General Code was and continues to be very responsive to our needs. When we have questions, they get answered.”

As for the system itself, Ann indicates that “we are very, very happy with the product. The feature I like most is how it saves time for the Clerk’s office, with regard to research in the Hartland Township Office.” Not only can every staff person do research at their own desk, but “even residents have access to the documents in Laserfiche when they come into the office and sit at the Laserfiche Community Computer. The residents love the ease with which this system operates,” Ann says. “Just a little explanation and they are on their way to viewing documents.”

The Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks has named Ann Ulrich 2006 Clerk of the Year. Before coming to public service as a Clerk, Ann taught high school and worked as a university administrator for 18 years. Among Ann’s most noteworthy accomplishments since taking office is her involvement in awareness programs directed at students, specifically the importance of voting and becoming involved in their communities. She has been instrumental in the improvement of the State of Michigan’s Qualified Voter File and the purchase and implementation of electronic voting equipment, or Accu-Vote. Ann will continue to educate and is determined to expand access to the Laserfiche system through the use of the Internet in the hope that residents and businesses will be able to access Township information without needing to travel to the Township office—“so that residents can also access information from their homes.”

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