Clifton Park, New York

Escrow Accounts

“Working with Clifton Park was a fantastic experience. We had an excellent opportunity to work together to design a process using our flexible software to solve a major problem. Our partnership led to an ideal solution, and the results speak for themselves.”

Reese Pratt, Citizenserve Senior Implementation Manager

Background

Clifton Park, a thriving suburban town in Saratoga County, New York, lies just 12 miles north of Albany and serves as a model growth community in the New York Tech Valley. With a population of approximately 38,000 (2020 census), the town offers abundant recreational opportunities, beautifully restored historic sites, and strong environmental stewardship—having protected or acquired development rights on over 1,000 acres of land to preserve its natural and open spaces for future generations.

Challenge

The small Planning Department in Clifton Park, with only four primary users, manages highly complex application processes involving more than 20 separate reviews and one or more board hearings. Their legacy system struggled to support these intricate workflows efficiently. A major pain point was accurately collecting, calculating, and tracking escrow funds used to cover third-party engineering reviews—requiring a solution that automated escrow amounts, enabled upfront lump-sum deposits by applicants, and provided clear tracking of deposits and withdrawals without manual intervention.

Solution

After detailed analysis and iterative refinement of Clifton Park’s review processes, we integrated a streamlined escrow workflow into Citizenserve. The system automatically generates a standalone escrow activity upon application submission, calculates the required amount based on the department’s fee schedule, and allows applicants to deposit funds securely via the online portal using an invoice number. Payments route through the city’s preferred processor—keeping escrow separate from standard application fees—while custom fields and tables enable precise tracking of all deposits and withdrawals.

Outcome

Clifton Park’s Planning Department launched with a soft rollout to select key users, followed by a full public go-live just two months later after minor adjustments. The customized online application and escrow process proved highly effective: in the first year, the department processed nearly 100 applications and successfully collected over $250,000 in escrow funds. This efficient, automated system reduced administrative burden, improved accuracy, and enhanced service for applicants and staff alike.

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Clifton Park, New York

Join the hundreds of communities using citizenserve®

Join the hundreds of communities
using citizenserve^®