Title
Staff Report for a Resolution Approving Updated Records Retention Schedules for City Records, and Approving the Destruction of Records in Accordance with the Retention Schedules, Subject to the Review and Consent of the City Attorney
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Working with City departments and a local government records consultant, staff prepared records retention schedules that specify the retention periods for records kept by the City. Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the updated records retention schedules for the following departments/divisions: Business Development, City Clerk, Citywide, Community Development, Engineering and Transportation, Human Resources, and Police. Adoption of the resolution will complete the update of the City’s records retention schedule.
BACKGROUND
Cities are responsible for managing many different types of records for various governmental purposes. Certain records, such as agreements and purchase orders, are vital to the conduct of a city’s day-to-day business; while others, such as meeting minutes, are important historical records.
California Government Code Section 34090 et. seq. provides general requirements for the retention of local government records, as well as specific requirements for certain types of records. Retention periods for various types of records are also specified elsewhere in federal, state or local law. For example, in 2012 the City Council adopted Title 10, Chapter 6 of the San Leandro Administrative Code, which requires the City to retain emails for a minimum of two years. Variations in retention periods, as allowed by statute, can be recommended by staff to meet various public or business interests.
The Government Code provides various methods for a city to manage its records program. One alternative allows the City Council to delegate decisions regarding the retention and destruction of records to City staff, once a compliant records retention schedule is in place.
A records retention schedule is a comprehensive inventory of the records maintained by the City. A retention schedule assists City staff in managing the storage of records that must be retained, the timely disposal of records no longer needed, and the preservation of records that are of historical value.
Analysis
The last City-wide retention schedule was adopted in 1998 by Resolution No. 98-16. Due to changes in the law, as well as changing business needs and records management demands, major revisions to the City’s current retention schedule are required.
The City Clerk’s Office engaged a local government records consultant, Gladwell Governmental Services, Inc., to assist staff from all City departments in revising each department’s records retention schedule. The departmental retention schedules proposed for adoption were reviewed and approved by the respective department head and the City Attorney’s Office.
At the March 16, 2015 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted the records retention schedules for the following departments/divisions: Mayor and City Council, City Attorney, City Manager, City Clerk, Information Services, Finance, Library, Public Works, and Recreation and Human Services.
Staff requests that the City Council approve the updated records retention schedules for the following departments/divisions: Human Resources, Community Development, Business Development, Police, Engineering and Transportation, and Citywide. Further revisions are also proposed for the City Clerk schedule. An increase in the retention of City Council meeting video recordings, from 5 years to 10 years, will offer greater public access. This increase in retention period is consistent with the practice of other neighboring cities when providing online access to several years of City Council meeting videos. Also, a few items are added or modified because the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) issued additional forms and retention guidelines.
Current Agency Policies
The current City-wide retention schedule was adopted by the City Council on February 2, 1998, by Resolution No. 98-16.
Previous Actions
• Current Citywide records retention schedule was adopted by Resolution No. 98-16 on February 2, 1998.
• New records retention schedules for Mayor and City Council, City Attorney, City Manager, City Clerk, Information Services, Finance, Library, Public Works, and Recreation and Human Services were adopted by the City Council on March 16, 2015, by Resolution No. 2015-064.
Legal Analysis
The City Attorney’s Office reviewed and approved the attached records retention schedules proposed for adoption.
Fiscal Impacts
None.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment to Staff Report
• Resolution 98-16, Adopting Records Retention Schedule
Attachments to Resolution
• Records Retention Schedule: Business Development
• Records Retention Schedule: City Clerk
• Records Retention Schedule: Citywide
• Records Retention Schedule: Community Development
• Records Retention Schedule: Engineering & Transportation
• Records Retention Schedule: Human Resources
• Records Retention Schedule: Police
PREPARED BY: Tamika Greenwood, City Clerk, City Manager’s Office