Southampton Town Hall Offers New ‘eDocs’ System For Property And Permit Information

Southampton Town residents have a new way to access documents on properties with a free “eDocs” system that is now up and running at Town Hall.

The idea was to create an interface where residents could access documents, such as site plan approvals or rental permits, that do not require Freedom of Information Law requests.

“You go into the various departments, like the Building Department, and you’re told you need to file a Freedom of Information Act request for something that’s actually contained in a file that’s really a public document,” Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said at a work session Thursday morning.

The town’s Geographic Information Systems Department worked to have a prototype ready in two days. There are now two stations in Town Hall, just across from the Building Department, where residents can use eDocs for 30 minutes at a time. Users can look up property information by entering an address or clicking on a map, according to GIS manager Michael Ross Baldwin. From there, users can also email themselves the documents, which are provided via a link that is available until 5 a.m. the next day, to view and print.

Mr. Schneiderman said with the new system there will be a cost savings because staff time FOIL requests tend to take up staff time.

The town already has a ePortal system that residents can subscribe to for an annual, biannual, quarterly, monthly and now daily fee to access more comprehensive property data. The annual fee is $350 and the daily fee is $10.

“Time will tell in terms of the public’s use of this, but I think it’s our responsibility to try to make information as accessible as possible to people and I think this does it—it’s free and easy,” Mr. Schneiderman said of the new interface.