[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Saratoga Springs as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 9-4-1974]
[Amended 4-4-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
The City of Saratoga Springs, New York, hereby designates the Commissioner of Finance, who is the officer charged with the duty of preparing payrolls, as the fiscal officer of the City of Saratoga Springs.
A. 
The City of Saratoga Springs, New York, hereby designates the following to be the records access officers from whom records may be obtained:
[Amended 4-4-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
(1) 
Mayor's office: the Mayor, City Hall.
(2) 
Department of Accounts: the Commissioner of Accounts, City Hall.
(3) 
Department of Finance: the Commissioner of Finance, City Hall.
(4) 
Department of Public Safety: the Commissioner of Public Safety, City Hall.
(5) 
Department of Public Works: the Commissioner of Public Works, City Hall.
B. 
The above-listed records access officers may designate authorized representatives to act in the event of their absence.
The records of each department will be available in the office of such department for public inspection and copying.
[Amended 4-4-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
The records are available for public inspection and copying during reasonable hours when the offices are open for business.
[Amended 4-4-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
In the event that any copies of records are required by any applicant, a charge shall be made of $0.25 per page for photocopies not in excess of 9 inches by 14 inches or the actual cost of reproducing any other record, unless a different fee is otherwise provided by statute.
Any individual denied access to a public record in the Mayor's office may appeal such denial to the Mayor and where denied access to a public record in any department may appeal such denial to the Commissioner of that department at City Hall, Saratoga Springs, New York.
The City of Saratoga Springs shall maintain and make available for inspection and copying a current list, reasonably detailed by subject matter, of any record produced, filed or first kept or promulgated after September 1, 1974. The subject matter list shall be in every location designated as a place where records shall be made available for public inspection and copying.
Each department may, by individual rules, require written requests to be completed for certain specified records. The requirement for such written requests shall be incorporated and made a part of these rules and regulations.
[Adopted 2-5-1996]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ARCHIVES
Those official records which have been determined by the Officer and Advisory Committee to have sufficient historical or other value to warrant their continued preservation by the local government.
RECORDS
Any documents, books, papers, photographs, sound records, microforms or any other materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or in connection with the transaction of official business of the City of Saratoga Springs.
RECORDS CENTER
Any establishment maintained by the City of Saratoga Springs primarily for the storage, servicing, security and processing of records which must be preserved for varying periods of time and need not be retained in office equipment or space.
RECORDS DISPOSITION
A. 
The removal by the City of Saratoga Springs, in accordance with approved records control schedules, of records no longer necessary for the conduct of business by such agency through removal methods which may include:
(1) 
The disposal of temporary records by destruction or donation.
(2) 
The transfer of records to the record center/archives for temporary storage of inactive records and permanent storage of records determined to have historical or other sufficient value warranting continued preservation.
B. 
The transfer of records from one village agency to any other village agency.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
The planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promotion and other managerial use and records disposition, including records preservation, records disposal and records centers or other storage facilities.
SERVICING
Making information in records available to any City agency for official use or to the public.
There shall be a records management program headed by a records management officer (RMO). The officer will be responsible for administering the noncurrent and archival public records and storage areas for the City of Saratoga Springs in accordance with local, state and federal laws and guidelines.
The records management officer shall have all the necessary powers to carry out the efficient administration and determination of value, use, preservation, storage and disposition of the noncurrent and archival public records kept, filed or received by the offices and departments of the City of Saratoga Springs. The records management officer shall:
A. 
Continually survey and examine public records to recommend their classification so as to determine the most suitable methods to be used for the maintaining, storing and servicing of archival material:
(1) 
Obsolete and unnecessary records, according to New York State records retention and disposition schedules, thereby subject to disposition;
(2) 
Information containing administrative, legal, fiscal, research, historical or educational value which warrant their permanent retention; or
(3) 
Records not subject to disposition according to state law.
B. 
Establish guidelines for proper records management in any department or agency of the City in accordance with local, state and federal laws and guidelines.
C. 
Report annually to the chief executive official and the governing body on the powers and duties herein mentioned, including but not limited to the cost/benefit ratio of programs effectuated by the department.
D. 
Operate a records management center for the storage, processing and servicing of all noncurrent and archival records for all City departments and agencies.
E. 
Establish a City archives and perform the following functions:
(1) 
Advise and assist City departments in reviewing and selecting material to be transferred to the City archives for preservation.
(2) 
Continually survey and examine public records to determine the most suitable methods to be used for the creating, maintaining, storing and servicing of archival materials.
(3) 
Establish and maintain an adequate repository for the proper storage, conservation, processing and servicing of archival records.
(4) 
Promulgate rules governing public access to and use of records in the archives, subject to the approval of the Records Advisory Board.
(5) 
Develop a confidentiality policy for archival records designated confidential, provided that such policy does not conflict with any federal or state statutes.
(6) 
Provide information services to other City offices.
(7) 
Collect archival materials which are not official City records but which have associational value to the City or a close relationship to the existing archival collection. Such collecting shall be subject to archive space, staff and cost limitations and to the potential endangerment of such materials if they are not collected by the archives.
(8) 
Develop a procedure whereby historically important records are to be identified at the point of generation.
There shall be a Records Advisory Board designated to work closely with and provide advice to the records management officer. The Board shall consist of persons appointed by members of the Saratoga Springs City Council. The Board shall meet periodically and have the following duties:
A. 
Provide advice to the records management officer on the development of the records management program.
B. 
Review the performance of the program on an ongoing basis and propose changes and improvements.
C. 
Review retention periods proposed by the records management officer for records not covered by the state archives' schedules.
D. 
Provide advice on the appraisal of records for archival value and be the final sign-off entity as to what is or is not archival.
A. 
The City of Saratoga Springs is the legal custodian of its records and shall retain custody of records deposited in the records center. Records transferred to or acquired by the archives shall be under the custody and control of the archives, rather than the department which created or held them immediately prior to being transferred to the archives.
B. 
Records shall be transferred to the archives upon the recommendation of the RMO, with the approval of the head of the department which has custody of the records and the approval of the Records Advisory Board.
C. 
Records may be permanently removed from the archives at the request of the RMO or the head of the department which had custody of the records immediately prior to the transfer of those records to the archives, subject to the approval of the Records Advisory Board.
The City may take steps to recover local government records which have been alienated from proper custody and may, when necessary, institute actions of replevin.
No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by a department of the City unless approval has been obtained from the records management officer. No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the records management officer without the express written consent of the department head having authority.