SOUTH PORTLAND — A $35,000 upgrade to the city’s e-mail system should make it easier for city officials to comply with information requests filed under the Freedom of Access Act.

The new system, approved by a 6-0 City Council vote on Monday night, will automatically archive incoming and outgoing messages from city officials. The messages will be collected into a searchable database.

City Manager Jim Gailey said in a position paper that right-to-know requests are increasing every year and the current process does not allowing the tracking and archiving of messages, which are considered public documents.