and manual tracking methods, which are labor-intensive, decentralized, and
increasingly difficult to manage efficiently, according to the city. (KCAW/McKenney)
The number of public records requests for the City and Borough of Sitka has quadrupled in the past decade, and staff are calling for more support with that process. At its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Sitka Assembly approved funding for public records request software to help with the increased workload in the municipal clerk’s office.
Deputy Municipal Clerk Holley Bayne said the city continues to see growth in both the number and complexity of public records requests, which are currently managed “through emails, a spreadsheet, and sticky notes.” In 2017, staff received 54 public records requests. That number grew to 209 requests in 2025.
“So far this year, we have had 44 requests received already, and that’s more than one per working day. We’re at the 36th working day right now,” Bayne said.
The program would automate a number of processes, would meet security rules that are important for handling sensitive information, and would help speed up redaction, according to Bayne.
The assembly unanimously approved about $21,000 for a two-year contract with NextRequest, an online platform designed to manage public records requests.
