SR-103-002-01
f:ctyclerk\melodi\records2000.doc Santa Monica, California
City Council Meeting 11-14-00
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Resolution approving new Records Retention Schedules for the
Environmental and Public Works Management (EPWM) and the
Resource Management Departments, and revised Records
Retention Schedules for the City Attorney’s Office, City Clerk’s
Office, City Manager’s Office, and the Finance Department.
INTRODUCTION
:
This report recommends that the City Council adopt the above-referenced
resolution and approve the revised Records Retention Schedules related to the
City’s Records Management Program implementation.
BACKGROUND:
On December 9, 1997, the City Council approved, in concept, a City-Wide
Records Management Program, approved the Records Management Program
Manual, and adopted Resolution No. 9221 approving records retention schedules
for the City Attorney’s Office, the Personnel Department, the Fire Department,
and the Transportation Department. On August 17, 1999, Council adopted
Resolution No. 9433 approving records retention schedules for the City Council
Office, the City Manager’s Office, the City Clerk’s Office, and the Finance
Department. The resolution also approved revisions to the records retention
schedules for the City Attorney’s Office, the Personnel Department, and the
Transportation Department, and revisions to the Records Management Manual.
The inventory process for developing the new retention schedules consisted of
analyzing all the records used in each Department, identifying vital records,
determining which records should be preserved and which should be discarded,
and developing a records retention schedule. The revisions for the schedules
that were previously approved address minor concerns that arose during
implementation of the retention schedules and the addition of new reports.
Staff will return to Council to request approval of retention schedules for the
remaining departments as their respective inventories are completed. In
addition, it is expected that as new forms are created, as existing forms become
obsolete, and as laws and individual department’s policies change, both the
manual and the retention schedules will be updated. The updates will routinely
be presented to Council for approval.
DISCUSSION:
Each of the departments listed above designated a department representative to
work with the Records Management Coordinator in the inventorying of the
records and the development of the retention schedule. The retention period for
each record series title was established based on legal statutes, regulations or
requirements, the knowledge of the usage of the records series from the
Department Records Coordinator, and the importance of the records. The
schedule was then reviewed by division heads, approved by the Department
Head, and finally reviewed and approved by the City Attorney and the City Clerk.
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Since the approval of the Records Management Manual on December 9, 1997,
the uniformity of paper management within the City is improving department by
department. The distribution of the manual to all Department Records
Coordinators has given staff a resource to use when issues of document control
arise.
Adoption of the proposed resolution will allow each City department to destroy
documents listed on the records retention schedule at the end of the retention
period. The destruction process requires written authorization from the
Department Head, the City Attorney and the City Clerk. If deemed necessary, a
Department Head may opt to keep documents longer and, if pending litigation is
imminent, documents will not be destroyed until one year after the case is
settled.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact.
RECOMMENDATION
:
Adopt a resolution approving new retention schedules for the Environmental &
Public Works Management and Resource Management Departments; approving
revisions to previously approved schedules for the City Attorney’s Office, the City
Clerk’s Office, the City Manager’s Office, and the Finance Department; and,
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incorporating Resolution No. 9221 which approved the Records Management
Program, by reference.
Prepared by: Maria M. Stewart, City Clerk
Melodi A. Pearson, Records Management Coordinator
Attachments: Exhibits A: Resolution
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ATTACHMENT “A”
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F:\ctyclerk\melodi\resolu2000.doc
City Council Meeting 11-14-00 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER _______ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
APPROVING RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULES FOR THE
ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC WORKS MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS, APPROVING REVISIONS TO THE CITY
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE, THE CITY MANAGER’S
OFFICE, AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND INCORPORATING
RESOLUTION NO. 9221 BY REFERENCE.
WHEREAS, California Government Code Sections 34090 and following
and other provisions of law set forth certain legal requirements regarding the
retention of certain municipal records; and
WHEREAS, the adoption and implementation of records retention
schedules for the various offices and departments of the City of Santa Monica is
necessary to ensure the orderly, efficient and economic conduct ofthe public’s
business; and
WHEREAS, the City Clerk’s Office has inventoried the records presently
maintained by the Environmental & Public Works Management and Resource
Management Departments, and has determined which of those records are vital,
which should be preserved and which should be discarded, and what the
retention schedule should be for those records; and
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WHEREAS, revisions were made to Records Retention Schedules
previously contained in Resolution No. 9433 for the City Attorney’s Office, the
City Clerk’s Office, the City Manager’s Office and the Finance Department; and
WHEREAS, the proposed retention schedules were reviewed by the each
respective Department Head, the City Attorney, and the City Clerk,
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The records retention schedules for the Environmental &
Public Works Management and Resource Management Departments, and the
revisions to the retention schedules of the City Attorney’s Office, the City Clerk’s
Office, the City Manager’s Office, and the Finance Department, which are
attached hereto as Exhibits “A” through “F”, are hereby approved and adopted.
SECTION 2. Resolution No. 9221, adopted on December 9, 1997, and
which approves the Records Management Program is incorporated herein, by
reference.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution,
and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVE AS TO FORM:
_______________________
MARSHA JONES MOUTRIE
City Attorney
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