Protect Applicant Information with MuniCollab’s New Redaction Tool

A nationwide scam has been facing planning board applicants and causing confusion across the United States. This scam targets Planning and Zoning Board applicants with fake invoices for application fees, soliciting payment via wire transfer. In most cases those perpetuating the scam are obtaining the email address of the applicant from  PDFs published on the municipal website, such as the project application form. 

The Solution: Intelligent, Effortless Redaction

While planning documents need to be publicly accessible, applicants’ personal contact information shouldn’t be made publicly available on the internet. This is exactly the kind of problem MuniCollab was built to solve—making municipal processes more efficient and transparent while protecting the people who participate in them.

We’ve built a new redaction tool that makes it simple to protect sensitive information while maintaining the transparency that’s essential to the planning process. Our redaction tool, powered by AI, addresses the core vulnerability: it makes it effortless to remove applicant contact information from public-facing documents while maintaining the transparency that’s essential to the planning process.

The system maintains two versions of every redacted document: the original (accessible only to authorized users) and the redacted version (what the public sees). This means your staff always has access to complete information for legitimate municipal business, while protecting applicant privacy in public-facing documents.

Why This Tool Matters Now

Traditional approaches to this problem are inadequate. Some municipalities have tried:

• Manual redaction with PDF editors: Time-consuming, inconsistent, and error-prone. Staff need to download every file and open in Adobe Acrobat (or similar software), then manually identify information that requires redaction, export the redact version and then upload it to its public destination. 
• Restricting public access entirely: This solves the privacy problem but creates a transparency problem. Residents have a right to see what’s being proposed in their communities – an integral part of the, which defeats the purpose of public review process.
• Redacting nothing and hoping for the best: As the recent wave of scams demonstrates, this isn’t a viable strategy.

What municipalities need is a system that’s intelligent enough to identify sensitive information automatically, simple enough that staff can use it without extensive training, and secure enough that redacted information stays redacted.

How MuniCollab’s Approach Is Different

We designed the redaction tool with three core principles: automation, security, and control.

Intelligent Automation
PDF files uploaded to MuniCollab are automatically scanned and analyzed to identify  patterns that typically represent sensitive information: email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. These aren’t hard-coded rules—the system actually understands the context of planning documents and can distinguish between, say, a municipal building address that should remain visible and an applicant’s home address that should be protected.

Authorized users will see intelligent suggestions the moment you click the “Redact” button. Review the recommendations, adjust if needed, and apply them all with one click. The entire process takes less than 30 seconds.

Permanent, Secure Protection
When you redact information in MuniCollab, we convert the redacted page(s) of the PDF to an image format on our servers. This isn’t just a cosmetic change—it fundamentally alters how the document is stored and displayed.

Some redaction tools work by drawing black boxes over text while leaving the underlying data intact. If not used perfectly, someone could potentially copy the “redacted” text or manipulate the PDF to reveal what’s underneath. That’s not a theoretical concern—it’s happened with high-profile document releases at the highest levels of government.

Our approach eliminates this vulnerability entirely. Once you redact information in MuniCollab, that information is permanently removed from the public version of the document. There’s no hidden layer to expose, no metadata to extract, no text to copy from underneath the redaction. The public sees an image where sensitive information has been permanently obscured.

Complete Control
Automation is valuable, but municipalities need the final say on what gets redacted. Our manual redaction interface enables the admin to make modifications to the AI-powered recommendations: drag to select any area you want to protect, resize or reposition the redaction box, and double-click to remove any redaction you don’t want.

Taking Action to Protect Your Applicants

The scammers targeting planning board applicants aren’t going away. They’ve found a systematic vulnerability: publicly accessible contact information combined with people anxious about application approvals. But the solution doesn’t require choosing between transparency and privacy.

MuniCollab’s redaction tool delivers both—making planning documents accessible to the public while protecting the personal information of the people who participate in the process. For municipalities already using MuniCollab, the redaction tool is available immediately at no additional cost. For planning departments evaluating how to address this vulnerability, we are here to help.

Whether you’re dealing with this scam in your jurisdiction or simply want to implement better privacy protections for applicants, our team can demonstrate how the redaction tool works in practice and help you develop policies for consistent implementation.

See Our Redaction Tool in Action

Schedule a demonstration to see how AI-powered redaction can protect your applicants in seconds while maintaining the transparency your community expects. Click here to schedule a demo.

New York’s third-largest city embraces digital transformation for Planning Board operations

The City of Yonkers has officially launched MuniCollab’s digital platform for its Planning Board, marking a significant milestone in the city’s ongoing efforts to modernize municipal operations. The implementation brings comprehensive digital workflows to New York’s third-largest city, streamlining complex development review processes.

“Yonkers is a city that’s growing and evolving,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “By implementing this online platform, we’re making it easier for residents and developers to navigate our review process while ensuring our staff has the tools they need to manage our city’s complex development activity efficiently and securely.”

Digital Transformation at Scale

Beginning in 2026, the Yonkers Planning Board will begin accepting applications through the MuniCollab portal, with the Zoning Board of Appeals and Landmarks Preservation Board to follow. The new system digitizes the entire land-use review lifecycle—from initial application submission through final decision-making—while ensuring complete transparency and record-keeping throughout the process.

Some of the benefits that the system brings to residents, developers and staff include:

Digital Submissions: Guided application forms ensure all required information is provided upfront, reducing back-and-forth delays. When documents are uploaded, the system assists staff by identifying document types, extracting key information, and suggesting appropriate filing locations—allowing planners to focus on substantive review rather than administrative tasks.

Centralized Document Management: All project documents are accessible to staff, board members, consultants, and relevant city departments through one unified system. 

Greater Public Transparency: Easy public access to project information and application status keeps the community informed about development in their neighborhoods.

Supporting Efficient Municipal Operations

The platform has been specifically configured to integrate with Yonkers’ existing workflows, including connections to the city’s GIS system for automated property data population. This integration ensures that when applicants enter a project location, the system automatically generates accurate zoning information, eliminating a common source of errors and delays.

AI-Powered Workflow Support

The platform includes AI-driven document analysis designed specifically for municipal land-use review. The system assesses document types, extracts key information like dates, provides concise summaries, and recommends appropriate filing locations. It can quickly identify zoning determination memos, Environmental Assessment Forms, and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans, routing each to the correct review queue.

The AI can also surface relevant sections of Yonkers’ municipal code, identify potential issues requiring further analysis, and flag topics needing additional expertise. Instead of spending 30 minutes searching through code for setback requirements or parking standards, planners get this information in seconds. Critically, all AI suggestions are designed to be verified by staff with the ultimate responsibility for review remaining with Yonkers’ planning professionals.

A Model for Urban Planning Technology

The adoption of MuniCollab’s software supports the city’s ongoing efforts to modernize municipal operations and enhance service delivery to Yonkers’ diverse and growing community. As a major city with significant development activity, Yonkers’ implementation demonstrates how purpose-built technology can handle the complexity of urban planning while maintaining the thoroughness and transparency that communities expect.

The Yonkers Planning Board portal is now live at yonkers.municollab.com/planning-board/projects.

Ready to see how digital transformation can support your municipality’s planning and zoning operations? Contact us to schedule a demo.

Recently, I had the opportunity to present at a panel discussion about AI in the planning process. The Planning and Zoning Workshop was hosted by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission. In the long run, there is no question about whether AI will become part of the municipal planning landscape. For the forward-thinking municipalities, it’s already here. The real question is how we can harness it responsibly to support better decision-making while maintaining the human judgment that’s essential to planning and zoning work.

At MuniCollab, we’ve been working to develop AI tools specifically designed for the unique challenges of the planning and zoning process. Our new AI features aren’t about replacing the expertise of board members, planners, and municipal staff. Instead, they’re about amplifying that expertise, giving you more time to focus on the nuanced, context-dependent decisions that require human insight.

Maintaining Human-in-the-Loop

Throughout my presentation, I emphasized a principle that guides everything we do at MuniCollab: human review is essential. AI should be viewed as an assistant, not a replacement. Our tools are designed with this philosophy at their core.

AI is a continuous learning model, which means results can vary over time as the model improves. While the model will tend to improve over time, it also means that you should never assume that an input will produce the same output every time. That’s why MuniCollab’s AI features always include verification steps. AI suggestions must be checked, verified, and human-endorsed. The ultimate responsibility for review resides with the humans involved – our goal is to provide them with the best possible tools to do so.

We also believe in transparency. Public confidence about AI usage varies considerably, as does public awareness of AI tools generally. Being transparent about your use of AI—especially if it’s integrated programmatically into your review process—will enhance public trust. Having clear standard operating procedures for use of AI is critical in maintaining that trust.

Getting Started with AI in Your Municipality

Land-use Review represents a great opportunity to implement AI with powerful tools that accelerate staff workflows and strong guardrails to protect the public and the municipality. The future of planning and zoning isn’t about choosing between human expertise and artificial intelligence—it’s about combining both to achieve outcomes neither could accomplish alone. That’s the vision driving our work at MuniCollab, and we’re excited to see how municipalities across the country use these tools to serve their communities more effectively.

AI for Workflow Efficiency

One of AI’s greatest strengths is its ability to streamline repetitive tasks. When documents are uploaded to MuniCollab, our AI assesses document types, extracts key information like generation dates, provides concise summaries, and even recommends the appropriate destination folder based on your municipality’s digital filing system.

Imagine receiving 20 documents as part of a site plan revision an hour before a submission deadline. Instead of staff spending hours sorting, categorizing, and doing initial reviews, our AI handles the menial, repetitive tasks. It identifies that Document A is a zoning determination memo, Document B is a revised EAF, and Document C is a SWPPP. It extracts the critical details from each and routes them to the correct review queue. Your staff can then focus their expertise where it matters most: the substantive review and decision-making.

The Heavy Lift: Context Shaping

One of the most critical concepts I discussed during my presentation was “context shaping.” AI is only as powerful as the context you provide. Here is a good way of thinking about it: the prompt is the question you ask AI, and the context is the source material that an AI model reviews before providing a response. While AI models will have a basic understanding of a site plan review process, each community has its own specific processes and municipal code that must be applied. 

This is where MuniCollab’s AI features shine. We’ve built our tools to work within a consistent workflow, so that AI-powered first-pass reviews are always queried against an up-to-date body of context that you manage directly. Whether you’re reviewing site plans, checking zoning compliance, or analyzing public comments, our AI works with your municipal code, your file destinations, and your established procedures. This consistency is what makes AI reliable and trustworthy for municipal use.

First-Pass Code Review: Finding Your Starting Point

Another powerful application of AI in planning is what I call “first-pass code review.” MuniCollab’s AI can quickly surface specific sections of municipal code that are relevant to an application, identify potential issues that require further human analysis, and flag topics that might need additional expertise.

The time savings here are substantial. Instead of a planner spending 30 minutes searching through code to find the relevant setback requirements, stormwater regulations, and parking standards, AI does this in seconds. It doesn’t make the final determination—that’s still your job—but it points you in the right direction and ensures nothing gets overlooked. Our AI can even identify which issues might require deeper review or specialized expertise, helping you allocate your resources more effectively.

Ready to Get Started?

The future of planning and zoning isn’t about choosing between human expertise and artificial intelligence. Both ingredients are essential for your municipality to be successful with AI. That’s the vision driving our work at MuniCollab, and we’re excited to see how municipalities across the country use these tools to serve their communities more effectively.

Ready to see how AI can transform your planning and zoning workflows? Contact us to schedule a demo and learn how MuniCollab can support your municipality’s land-use review needs.

The Town of Warwick has transformed how residents access government information with its MuniCollab digital platform launch, delivering dramatic efficiency improvements while answering citizens’ calls for greater transparency in planning processes.

Link: Press Release on Town of Warwick Website 

Press Coverage:

• Warwick Advertiser: Town of Warwick announces new digital portal for the delivering public information
• Warwick Valley Dispatch: Town of Warwick Advances Municipal Efficiency and Transparency with Digital Land Use Review Platform
• MidHudson News: Town of Warwick goes digital for land use review

Dramatic Efficiency Revolution

The impact on municipal operations has been transformative. Under the previous paper-based system, staff spent approximately hours combing through emails and project folders to prepare files for every single application—time that didn’t include answering follow-up questions or handling Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests. The MuniCollab platform eliminates these time-intensive manual processes while providing instant access to application materials and project updates.

Answering Citizens’ Demand for Open Government

Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer emphasized the citizen-centered approach driving this transformation: “One of the big goals of ours is to create a more open government and provide the public with more access to information. And we’ve seen that the planning board is an area where the public has so many questions and they want to see the progress of applications. They want to get more details on applications.”

Starting July 15th, 2025, all new Planning Board applications are processed through the digital portal, providing unprecedented access to the review process.

Comprehensive Public Access Experience

For Government Transparency:

• Complete visibility throughout the entire review process
• Instant access to all application materials and supporting documents
• Real-time progress tracking for projects of community interest
• Enhanced public participation opportunities

For Applicants and Professionals:

• Streamlined digital application submission with 24/7 access
• Direct communication channels with planning staff
• Real-time project status tracking

Enhanced Responsive Government 

Town Supervisor Dwyer emphasized how this technology supports responsive governance: “This technology will streamline our planning board operations while maintaining the thorough review processes that help shape Warwick’s thoughtful development and preserve our community character.”

Access Information: Town of Warwick Planning Board Portal 

The Town of Warwick’s implementation demonstrates how targeted technology can simultaneously improve government efficiency and enhance democratic participation through unprecedented transparency.

Feature Highlight: Dynamic Agendas 

MuniCollab completely revolutionizes the way meeting details are created, shared, and accessed. Dynamic agendas change the way you work, delighting your board members and the public.

Agendas and Projects

Static agendas are a thing of the past. With MuniCollab each project on an agenda is dynamically linked, making it easy to review the project details for each item on the agenda. 

Submission Deadlines

Submission deadlines further clarify the planning board process to applicants. Anyone wishing to appear on an agenda can now see the relevant deadline while viewing the agenda itself. Each agenda has its own deadline, allowing full customization.

Curated Board Experience

While projects may have many dozens of files, keeping your board on-task by showing just the files they need to see is critical. With our dynamic agenda builder you can add just the files you’d like them to review, keeping your meetings focused and your board happy. 

Adding topics not related to a specific project is also possible. This way you can ensure that nothing is missed and everything is at your fingertips throughout the meeting. 

MuniCollab’s dynamic agenda builder complements other features like workflow automations, powerful task tools, and mapping features. Learn more about how these features can transform the way your planning or zoning board operates. Schedule a demo today!

The Town of Thompson’s adoption of the MuniCollab platform represents more than just technological advancement—it’s a commitment to sustainable community development that reduces environmental impact while enhancing municipal efficiency.

Link: Press Release on Town of Thompson Website

Technology Supporting Environmental Goals

By transitioning from paper-based submissions to digital workflows, Thompson is significantly reducing its environmental footprint while serving as a gateway community where thoughtful development planning impacts both local quality of life and regional economic vitality as a critical hub for Sullivan County.

Town Supervisor William J. Rieber Jr. positioned the digital transformation as integral to Thompson’s efficiency and transparency: “Adopting MuniCollab’s platform is a major step forward in our efforts to streamline operations and better serve our residents. This technology will make the application and review process more accessible while increasing transparency throughout the entire land use review lifecycle.”

Comprehensive Digital Ecosystem

Beginning May 1, 2025, Thompson’s Planning Board started accepting new applications through the MuniCollab portal, with the Zoning Board of Appeals following in sequential phases. This coordinated approach ensures that all land use decisions benefit from consistent digital workflows and transparent public access.

The implementation addresses the full spectrum of land use review challenges:

• Reduce reliance on paper-based submissions for environmental sustainability
• Enhanced multi-party collaboration connecting applicants, town officials, and community stakeholders
• Centralized digital repository for all project documents and decisions
• Real-time transparency into application status and review progress
• Reduced administrative burden supporting staff efficiency

Supporting Regional Development in the Catskills

As a gateway community in the Catskills region, Thompson’s digital transformation supports sustainable growth patterns that preserve community character while accommodating appropriate development. The platform’s transparency features enable residents to stay informed about development proposals affecting their neighborhoods.

The Town of Thompson’s Land-Use Portals can be found here:

• Town of Thompson Planning Board
• Town of Thompson Zoning Board of Appeals (Launching August 2025) 

This digital transformation represents an investment in the tools needed to guide sustainable community development while reducing environmental impact through paperless processes.

Powerful Workflow Tools

MuniCollabs latest features include powerful workflow automation tools that will ensure your planning staff are always on top of every phase of project review.

Each application type can now be configured to automatically set in motion a series of tasks every time an applicant submits a new project. Each task can be configured individually, including the option to require that the last task be completed before moving on to the next.

Clarity in Each Project Phase

With project dashboards that now include a clear project timeline, you can quickly see where every project is in the process. Everything is in one place, alongside the project files and recent revisions, for every review.

Standardize The Process

In public land-use review, having a standard process that is clearly recorded is critical. With MuniCollab you can ensure that every project is handled in a consistent, transparent, and well documented manner. That way your office runs more smoothly while communicating easily with Applicants during every step of the process.

Schedule a personalized demo today to see how MuniCollab can transform your office with workflow automations. Click here to set up a demo.

Kingston Leads the Way: City Transforms Land-Use Review with MuniCollab Platform

The City of Kingston, New York has officially adopted MuniCollab’s digital platform for their Planning Board, Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission, and Tree Commission, marking a significant milestone in the city’s efforts to modernize their land-use review process. The adoption has generated positive coverage and praise from city officials, demonstrating the real-world impact of purpose-built municipal technology.

Streamlining Complex Processes

Kingston’s implementation represents everything MuniCollab was designed to achieve. As Mayor Steve Noble explained in a recent radio interview, “Our previous website was just a place to put PDFs. It became really confusing about which documents were the most up-to-date, how do we access these documents.” The new platform eliminates this confusion by providing a centralized, transparent system where all stakeholders can access current information.

The transformation has been particularly notable in how it handles zoning information. Planning Director Sue Cahill highlighted a key feature: “When you are completing the application and you’re putting in the project location [the application] automatically generates the zoning that you’re in so the applicant can just soar through those pieces, and we know they’re accurate, which is really nice.”

Positive Reception and Implementation Success

The rollout has exceeded expectations. Mayor Noble noted, “We’ve rolled out a variety of different softwares in the city and some have been really complicated to roll out, but I have to say the roll-out of this program has been super great. We were able to go from contract signing right into it.”

This smooth implementation is particularly significant given Kingston’s ambitious development goals. As Mayor Noble shared, “We have a goal of getting 1,000 housing units approved by 2029. We also have a goal of planting 1,000 trees by 2030. Having a smoother submission process is one of the things the city can do to help support economic growth or help people do the right thing with sustainability. We should at least make the process easier.”

Media Coverage and Public Response

The adoption has garnered positive coverage from local media, with both the Kingston Wire and Daily Freeman featuring stories about the new platform. Kingston Wire noted that the system “digitizes the entire land-use review process from initial applications to final decisions,” while emphasizing the enhanced transparency and public accessibility.

Planning Board Chairman Wayne Platte Jr. praised the system’s usability: “The process is simple to navigate for applicants and board members alike. The new site will certainly help streamline the submission process for applicants, allow planning board members to stay on top of projects between meetings and give the public easy access to view current projects.”

Looking Forward

The enthusiasm from developers and applicants has been particularly encouraging. As Mayor Noble observed, “The developers we talk to are excited that we’ve adopted a new platform. They’re not going to get some arcane process now.” He added, “The planning department is now in the 21st century, potentially even heading into the next century. I think it’s that good.”

Kingston’s successful adoption demonstrates how the right technology can transform municipal operations while serving the community’s long-term development and sustainability goals. The positive reception from all stakeholders—staff, board members, applicants, and the public—validates MuniCollab’s approach to modernizing land-use review processes.

This February, our team had the opportunity to participate in the New York Association of Towns conference held in the heart of Times Square. MuniCollab is proud to have joined the Association of Towns as a Silver Level sponsor. From start to finish, it was an incredibly positive experience that exceeded our expectations and reinforced our shared commitment to supporting New York’s municipal communities.

Aligned with AOT’s Mission

Our software solutions are designed to help municipal governments operate more efficiently, engage better with their residents, and streamline their administrative processes. Like AOT, we understand the challenges local governments face when it comes to resident engagement, citizen communication, and service efficiency. By participating in this conference, we were able to connect directly with town officials who are working on the front lines to improve their communities—exactly the audience that can benefit most from our technology solutions.

The conference experience itself was exceptional from start to finish. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout the event, with a huge shout out to Libby Schirmer for her outstanding assistance in helping us get set up and settled in. We were also fortunate to secure an excellent booth location, which proved to be a game-changer for our visibility and foot traffic. The steady stream of attendees stopping by our booth was both exciting and encouraging, and the level of support we received made all the difference in ensuring our participation went smoothly.

Networking and Special Events

Beyond our booth presence, we had the chance to attend some wonderful networking events. Steve Newhouse, the executive from Orange County, hosted a fantastic cocktail hour that provided great opportunities to connect with fellow attendees. We also enjoyed a dinner event with the team from Labella Associates – another big shout out to them, as they’re truly great people to work with.

Looking Forward

Our experience at the New York Association of Towns conference reinforced both the value of these industry gatherings and the importance of AOT’s work in supporting local government officials across the state. The combination of showcasing our technology, connecting with potential clients, and building relationships within the municipal community made this event a clear success.

We’re proud to support AOT’s mission of helping towns achieve greater economy and efficiency through technology solutions that modernize operations and enhance transparency. The enthusiasm we saw from attendees for digital solutions that can help them better serve their residents confirms that we’re on the right track in developing tools that meet real municipal needs.

We’re already looking forward to participating again next year and continuing to build partnerships that help New York’s towns thrive in an increasingly digital world.