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NILES TOWNSHIP — A project approved Thursday aims to create easier document searching and preservation in Niles Township.

At a special meeting Thursday morning, the Niles Township Board of Trustees approved a large-scale document scanning project, which would convert the township’s paper files to digital, with Graphic Sciences. The project, which is estimated to cost $8,253, will scan and create digital copies of an estimated 31,005 images, 5,200 drawings and 7,241 files.

Graphic Sciences has been the contract holder for the state for micrographic services for the last 14 years.

According to Lisa Herter, of the township, the document scanning project would help clear out years-old paper copies and make it easier to find important documents when staff or the public wishes to view them.

“What we are really trying to look at is cleaning up the basement,” she said. “It’s horrible down there. Every time we get a FIOA request, every time somebody wants to look at plans — like how someone wanted to look at the plans for the old Dairy Queen the other day — there’s no way we can find those plans.”

“It can take hours upon hours to go down there to do stuff,” added Denise Kasprzak, zoning administrator.

Kasprzak described the document scanning project as a “one-time cleanup” of the township’s files.

Prior to approval, Niles Township Supervisor Jim Stover voiced his support of the project.

“We’ve got to take care of this,” he said. “This is a step forward and is long overdue.”

Graphic Sciences estimated the project would take six to eight weeks.