Village of Poquott, NY Chapter 32 Records

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Poquott as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I Records Management

[Adopted 1-1-2002]

§ 32-1 Preface.

The Incorporated Village of Poquott Records Management Policy and Procedure Manual[1] has been written with the aid of various books, pamphlets and manuals. The manual and the policies within were adopted and added to the manual to provide the Village staff with a comprehensive manual that covers relevant records management topics as was deemed necessary to running the Village's records management program. Construction of these sections would not have been possible without the publication by the New York State Archives and Records Administration's Technical Information Series manuals number 48 and 49. Portions of these manuals were used as reference sources in the creation of the Village's policy and procedure manual as well as information garnered from required SARA workshops in accordance with accepted bibliographic and copyright guidelines.

[1] Editor's Note: The Records Management Policy and Procedure Manual is on file in the Village office.

§ 32-2 Introduction.

A. The Incorporated Village of Poquott located on Birchwood Avenue in East Setauket, New York laid the foundation for a records management program at the Village's office in early 2001 through the adoption of the program by local legislation. Faced with the normal problems associated with the running and growth of a local government, the Village faced three main problems that were increasingly hindering Village officers' ability to effectively discharge their duties. The problems were:

(1) Inability to effectively address Freedom of Information (FOIL) requests in a timely and accurate fashion due to the fact that needed records were spread over a number of locations throughout the Village.

(2) Village officers could no longer safely differentiate between records with short-term retentions and longer or permanent retentions as outlined in SARA retention schedules.

(3) The lack of accurate record quantities (active and inactive) was hindering Village facility planning.

B. After legislation was adopted charging the Village's records management officer with correcting the growing problem, the New York State Archives and Records Administration representative for region 10 was contacted and the grant process was begun. The Village submitted a grant for the 2001/2002 Grant year requesting money for inventory and planning of the proposed records center and program. The grant was approved in the amount of $2,279 and with the help of an experienced staff began the project in late September of 2001. In addition, the State Archives and Records Administration Retention Schedule MU-1 2000 was adopted as the Village's official retention schedule standard.

C. Joseph Newfield, Village Clerk/RMO and Karin Lowenstein, Deputy Clerk/Project Manager oversaw the inventory. Under their supervision (and the grant funding from SARA), the inventory of the Village's various records was completed. Records found to be inactive but still within their lifecycle were transferred to standard sized records containers and stored in the records center located in the Village Hall's basement. Records identified as possessing enduring value were also transferred to the Village's records center, ensuring the next generation of Village residents' history would be preserved for perpetuity.

§ 32-3 Purpose of manual.

The Poquott Village Clerk is responsible for the administration of the Village's archival and short- and long-term records. The following policies and procedures have been developed to assist Village staff with their appointed daily duties, and to inform members of the Village's various departments about the Village's record management program.

§ 32-4 Records management: a definition.

Records management is the systematic application of guidelines used to manage, organize, maintain and use records created in the general course of an organization's daily business while protecting that agency's legal, fiscal and administrative rights through the use of legal retention periods outlined in state and federal guidelines.

§ 32-5 Village of Poquott Records Center.

A. The Village of Poquott Records Center and Archives are charged with the duty of protecting the Village's public records. The records center and archives both belong to the Village's taxpayers, and the proper management of both systems insures the protection of the interests and rights of the Village's taxpayers.

B. The varying nature of the two sets of records require that different standards be applied to each to ensure the protection of the Village's documentary heritage (archives) and its short-term (records center) records while providing for the free access to the Village's various holdings as outlined under state and federal Law. It is therefore the duty of all government officials and staff members to ensure that all aspects of the Village's records management program are followed to the best of their ability, and to provide the public with a cost-effective approach to the management of the program goals and obligations set down by the relevant agencies and boards by law.

§ 32-6 Custody of records.

The appropriate Village department head retains legal custody and authority over all records of their department. The Records Management Officer (RMO) shall maintain the physical custody and official responsibility for records transferred to the Village Records Center. Records deemed to contain historical value which are transferred to the Village archives become the legal as well as physical custody of the Archives.

§ 32-7 Access to records.

Members of the department, which has created and/or maintained the records, may only access records housed in the Village's records center. Viewing of records by outside department members without written approval and authorization of the request from the department that maintains legal custody of the records is strictly forbidden. The records center will not accept subpoenas on behalf of other agencies or departments. All subpoenas are required to be served to the appropriate person in the generating department. The individual may then obtain the requested records from the records center. However, due to the size of the Village staff and voluntary nature of Village officers, the Village Clerk or Deputy Clerk will handle all Freedom of Information requests submitted to the Village in accordance with procedures as set down by state and federal law.

§ 32-8 Records retention and disposition.

A. The Village of Poquott has adopted for use in the Village Municipal Retention Schedule MU-1 2000 for local towns, villages, and municipalities created for use in local governments by the State Archives and Records Administration (SARA). The retention schedule outlines the minimum retentions periods and procedures for disposal of Village records.

B. No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the Village without the written consent of the Village's Records Management Officer and the corresponding department head.

C. The Village has chosen shredding and/or incineration as the Village's method(s) of records disposal. This dual method of destruction was chosen to accommodate for future changes in market costs and time expenditures associated with the process. Either method of destruction listed above must be used in the destruction of Village records containing fiscal, legal, confidential or personal information. Records found not to fall into these categories may be destroyed using any of the accepted records destruction techniques as long as all proper procedures are followed and prior authorization exists.

§ 32-9 Active records file system.

A. The active records of the Village are currently arranged by department, and then by subject. Each department is in charge of the records created by that department in the course of their assigned duties and should not be accessed by outside parties without the permission or the knowledge of members of the generating department for security and legal concerns.

B. The system affords all department staff with easy access to the records when called to locate a specific file. The filing structures are located in two separate areas within the Village Hall. The areas are the Treasurer's office and the Village Clerk's office. The records contained within these offices are duty specific, relating to the assigned tasks that each officer has adapted to their job description. However, it should be noted that other members of the Village administration also keep records in the two areas (the majority of which are located in the Treasurer's office). These records are considered to be the overall property of the Village, but there are also the personal files of some Village officers mixed within the general departmental filing structures. These records do not specifically fall under the auspices of the Village (the materials that a person would normally collect and have within their office if they were assigned one); however, the records are subject to review by the Village's Records Management Officer for any pertinent Village material upon the resignation, termination, etc., of any Village officer or staff member in the event of backlash or that the person might currently be involved on a Village project at the time of their leaving Village employ.

§ 32-10 Inactive records storage system overview.

A. Note: The following system overview will not fully be adopted until the proposed future changes to the records center are completed. However, certain rules may be followed where applicable.

B. The purpose of the records storage locator system implemented by the Village records center was created to facilitate:

(1) The random storage of inactive records housed in the Village's inactive records area.

(2) To aid in the rapid, accurate retrieval of material for reference and/or destruction purposes.

(3) To ensure that the Village's legal, fiscal, and administrative duties are fully met.

(4) To ensure that the Village's legal obligation as set down by state and federal laws are fully met.

(5) To ensure that Freedom of Information and Privacy Act provide for the privacy of Village residents and employees as set down by law.

(6) To protect and preserve the Village's vital and non-vital records.

(7) To ensure that all records are disposed of in accordance with accepted records management principles as well as standards set down by the Village.

C. In furtherance of the goals listed above, the Village has implemented a number of principles that are: cost-effective, easy-to-understand and maintain, flexible and reflective of the overall state-of-the-art records management techniques and the guidelines set down by the State Archives and Records Administration.

§ 32-11 Records storage containers.

All records to be maintained in the Village's inactive records storage area will be filed in #200 test, 15 inches by 12 inches by 10 inches type "C" fluted corrugated records storage containers, or comparable containers.

§ 32-12 Random storage.

To ensure maximum space utilization and physical security, the Village stores its inactive records randomly, rather than attempting to segregate them by department, date or some other unique characteristic. Boxes are assigned space locations based on the number of boxes transferred and the order in which they are received by the records center. All boxes are labeled, and the appropriate information regarding the content of the material(s) inside are duly noted on the container's label, providing for easy access while maintaining the security of the records.

§ 32-13 Records locator/storage system.

The Village has implemented a two-factor records identification and locator system designed to assure the successful, trouble-free retrieval of records storage containers. The system is based on the basic row-unit-shelf-space zigzag method of storing records. Shelves are numbered bottom to top with space numbers starting at the leftmost, front space. Spaces then proceed from front to back, and left to right with odd numbered spaces in the front and even numbered spaces in the back. Total number of spaces listed is six. Two containers are assigned to each space. With such a system, all inactive records are identified, inventoried and retrieved based upon assigned numbers, all of which is contained within a unique database created for this specific purpose:

A. Box identification number. Each box is assigned a unique number when transferred to the records center. All numbers are unique and are only used once; no number is used twice, and no two boxes are ever assigned the same number.

B. Permanent shelf location number. The Village's records center has been designed using the row-unit-shelf-space storage system, which aids in locating specific containers.

(1) Row. Row numbers are assigned in a clockwise fashion starting with the row immediately to the left of the center's entrance.

(2) Unit. Each unit consists of a set number of shelves, each with the capacity to hold a set number of standard records containers. Units are numbered in linear fashion, the first one encountered being unit one, the next unit two and so on until all units within the row have been assigned a unit number.

(3) Shelf. Each unit consists of a fixed number of shelves. Each shelf has the capacity to hold a set number of standard sized records center containers. The shelves are numbered consecutively, starting with the bottom shelf and proceeding to the topmost shelf.

(4) Space. (Note: Space numbering is dependent upon width of purchased shelving. Double or single units may easily be adapted to the shelving system. The example uses double capacity units.) Space numbers within the records center are assigned upon the transferal of materials to the records center. Each space is permanent and does not change despite the fact that its contents might change every few years. The spaces are numbered in a zigzag fashion. Space number one is located on the far left, front side. Space number two is located immediately behind space number one. In this fashion, space numbers move back and forth between the front of the shelf and the back in a zigzag manner, leaving the even numbered spaces 2, 4, 6 on the back side of the shelf and the odd numbered spaces 1, 3, 5 on the front side of the shelf. Each consecutive shelf is set up in this way, repeating the numbering system until all spaces are numbered. Since there are only six assigned spaces per shelf and 12 boxes assigned as well, each space therefore holds two records containers.

(5) Shelf assignment.

(a) The numbers assigned to a particular box are that box's designated shelf assignment. Assignment numbers appear on box labels from left to right with each separate factor of the shelf assignment divided by a "dash": Row-Unit-Shelf-Space.

	Example:	01-01-01-04
		Row-Unit-Shelf-Space

(b) The example above is located on the first row in the records center on the first unit and shelf in the middle space on the backside of the shelf.

§ 32-14 Transferring eligible records to inactive storage.

A. Records may be transferred to the records center whenever the need arises. However, formal transfer times have been created to facilitate the periodic movement of inactive records from active filing structures to the Village's records center. To accomplish this purpose the Village has adopted two transfer periods per year. The first transfer time is in December. During this transfer period, departments are charged with transferring any nonfiscal material to the records center. The second transfer time is in June of each year. During this transfer period departments are charged with transferring any fiscal records created during the past year's fiscal year. This second transfer time is scheduled to coincide with the end of the Village's fiscal year and any audits that might occur during this month.

B. Departments should follow the steps listed below when transferring materials to the records center.

(1) The month prior to the transfer month records center staff will send out a reminder to all departments, notifying them of the upcoming transfer month.

(2) Department staff upon receipt of the notification will:

(a) Review the contents of each file cabinet, storage shelf, etc., used for storage of records in the office area.

(b) Select for transfer to the Village's inactive records storage area, those records that must be retained for at least one additional year and are referenced less than once a month.

(c) Determine by measurement, the approximate linear inches of file drawer and/or shelf space that such records currently occupy.

(d) On the basis that each 15 inches by 12 inches by 10 inches records storage container holds 13 inches of letter-size records and 10 inches of legal-size records, obtain and assemble adequate quantities of such cartons. Boxes will be available from the records center.

(e) Box up the records to be transferred to the records center in the exact order that they were maintained in the office files.

[1] Letter-size records are to be filed 13 inches to 15 inches deep parallel to the container's 12 inches side.

[2] Legal-size records are to be filed 10 inches to 12 inches deep parallel to the container's 15 inches side.

[3] Smaller than letter-size records are to be filed in two or more rows, separated by cardboard dividers to prevent their commingling. Records up to 8 1/2 inches by 5 1/8 inches are to be filed across the 12 inches side. Records from 8 1/2 inches by 5 5/8 inches through 8 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches are to be filed across the 15 inches side.

[4] Prepare the Records Center Transfer List or Form, describing materials to be transferred to the records center. A reference copy of the form should be retained until the RMO returns a copy of the official transfer form to the department. Form should have:

[a] Department name.

[b] Transfer date (date the form is sent to the RMO).

[c] Number of boxes to be transferred.

[d] Brief description of contents.

[e] Retention schedule number, page and schedule used.

[f] Signature of department head.

[g] Prepare a container listing for each box. Each sheet should have:

	(i)	Department name.
	(ii)	Title of record series.
	(iii)	Inclusive date.
	(iv)	Arrangement.
	(v)	Any special notes or instructions.

[h] RMO will then transfer records to the records center after final receipt of request. The Village will utilize appropriate staff for this part of the transfer.

(3) Upon transfer of the cartons, the RMO or the designated staff member will consult the numerical log of boxes and space assignments and will assign the container the next available box number and the appropriate shelf assignment.

(a) Once the box location and number have been determined the staff member will remove the container listing and double check the information listed. Once confirmation of retention periods and assorted other information has been confirmed the box number and shelf assignment are officially entered on the container listing.

(b) Three copies of the container listing are made. One copy goes back inside the container. One copy is kept and filed in the office's transfer file. One copy is returned to the department with the original transfer list sent with the boxes.

(c) The records center database is then updated and labels are printed.

(d) Containers are labeled with the records center label placed on the 12 inches side of the carton below the handle hole. Below the label in permanent marker the box number is written on the box, and the location number is added as is deemed needed.

(e) Containers are then shelved in their newly assigned spaces.

(f) Space and box master schedule is updated.

§ 32-15 Retrieving inactive records for reference/use.

A. Options for reference and retrieval.

(1) The Village's records center layout and positioning was created for ease of access and its close proximity to the various Village departments. Because of this and the size of the records center itself, referencing of Village records by authorized Village staff is relatively easy. Two options are available to any member of staff requesting material for use.

(a) Request of material for use outside the records center.

(b) Request for material for use inside the records center.

(2) Both options require a minimum of paperwork to be filled out upon request. The paperwork is for legal purposes only and has no reflection upon the fact that departments retain ownership of their records upon transferal to the records center. However, the process for both options is the same minus one step.

B. Process.

(1) STEP 1: Requesting material. Staff members requesting material should contact record center staff and provide the following:

(a) Series title.

(b) Box number.

(c) Shelf assignment.

(d) Request to have the material delivered to the department.

(2) STEP 2: Records center staff will then pull the boxes and fill out the reference request form.

(3) STEP 3: The records will be delivered to the requesting department where the department head will sign for the material, providing an anticipated return date.

(4) STEP 4: Records staff will provide a copy of the request to the department and place a copy in the out box.

(5) STEP 5: When the requester is done with the boxes or the anticipated return date is reached staff will contact the department to inquire if the materials are still to be returned to the records center. If they are to be kept, an additional month is given to the requester, but if the material is needed for longer than a month the box will remain in the requested status until such time as the requester is done with it.

Note: Material needed for legal actions will be removed only for the duration of its use and must be returned to ensure that all legal obligations can be met. Copies of material can be provided and notarized depending upon the circumstances.

§ 32-16 Referencing records at the records center.

If the department personnel choose to refer to their records stored in the records center without removing them from the records center, they may do so by contacting the RMO or designated staff member. Arrangement will be made for the authorized department member to visit the records center accompanied by the records center staff member. The requester will need to provide the same information listed above in STEP 1. A reference request form will be filled out used for reference purposes only, and the requester will be escorted to the Village board room where he/she will be allowed to view requested records under the supervision of a designated Village representative.

§ 32-17 Destroying obsolete inactive records.

A. The following procedures cover the destruction of records stored at the records center. No records housed at the records center will be destroyed without proper authorization from the department head (with whom the legal custody of the records remains) and the RMO (who has physical custody of the records).

B. The destruction of materials within the records center has been simplified by limiting the record destruction to a single month. Currently, all inactive, obsolete records within the Village's records center are scheduled to be destroyed in January and all retention periods are shifted to accommodate this month. Therefore, a box with a six-year retention that might normally place the box's destruction in September will be shifted to provide for the destruction in January. This addition of time allows for a systematic destruction of materials and may be adjusted over time if necessary in the future. The process is as follows:

(1) Prior to the destruction month, the RMO or staff member will determine which records are due to be destroyed.

(2) A destruction authorization form is filled out.

(3) The authorization form is sent to the department head who has legal custody of the records.

(4) The department head will review the choices for destruction and authorize the destruction, retaining a copy for their records.

(5) Upon receipt of the destruction authorization forms the records center staff will destroy or mark for destruction the appropriate records. The Village has considered a number of options for destruction. The decision has been made to utilize shredding or incineration of material as the approved destruction of records containing information of a private or financial nature. Example: Payroll sheets containing social security numbers.

(6) The RMO will then confer with the Village's legal counsel about those records marked for destruction, which are not needed for any active litigation.

C. Any questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the RMO directly.

§ 32-18 Vital records management.

A. The definition of a vital record is information required to reestablish business or recreate business or organization happenings in the event of a disaster. For records to be defined or categorized as vital they must fall into one of three protective categories:

(1) Protect or be related to a company's legal rights.

(2) Protect or be related to a company's financial status.

(3) Protect the rights of a company's employees, shareholders, constituents.

B. These three categories may be expanded to encompass the four main areas or assets that a company usually possesses. The categories are:

(1) People.

(2) Property.

(3) Capital.

(4) Records.

C. These four categories of assets are vital because they are intrinsically unique and hard to replace. To insure that they are adequately protected the Village has introduced the basic elements of a proper records protection, thus ensuring that the first three categories of assets are protected through the security and protection of the fourth.

D. The Village's vital records plan is based on the on-site storage strategy of protecting records. This strategy was chosen to provide ease of access to Village records and because the strategy is also the most cost effective for the Village. The incorporation of this system at the Village is based primarily on an on-site, decentralized filing and storage system, which utilizes varying security and protection levels, depending upon the nature of the records. In this system, records are classified and filed based on their intrinsic value and their classification (Ex. Archival material in the basement storage area). Meeting minutes and fiscal records are regularly backed-up to magnetic disk and taken off site to be stored in a safe and appropriate facility.

§ 32-19 Electronic records.

A. The size of the Village has required it to adopt a decentralized electronic records protection system for the few records series currently being created in the various computing environments within the Village. Although not all encompassing, the system currently calls upon individual staff members to back up their work at their workstations. The backups are then recorded and taken off site, making each staff member responsible for the electronic records within their possession.

B. All disposition and retention periods listed within the current state (MU-1 2000) retention schedules are applicable to the electronic records within the Village. Questions regarding electronic records should be forwarded or addressed to the appropriate SARA representative.

Note: The electronic records within the Village and systems designed to protect them are expected to change as technology and the theories behind the preservation of electronic information unfold over time.

§ 32-20 Disaster recovery.

A. The definition of disaster recovery planning is the systematic advanced planning and preparation performed by an organization to reduce the risk of disaster and ensure that business functions can be carried on in a reasonable amount of time after a disaster strikes.

B. There are seven levels of disaster that may strike an organization. They range from a nuclear attack or explosion to the loss of a document. The classes have been listed below in order of most severe to least severe.

(1) Major disaster. Ex. Nuclear attack or meltdown.

(2) Natural disaster. Ex. Flood, hurricane, etc.

(3) Destruction of Village offices during office hours. Ex. Fire in the records center during Village office hours.

(4) Destruction of the Village during closed hours. Ex. Fire in the records center after Village is closed.

(5) Departmental or unit disaster. Ex. Fire in Treasurer's office.

(6) Sub-function or series disaster. Ex. Correspondence file destroyed.

(7) Lost file or document. Ex. Letter of complaint lost.

C. The above listed classes of disasters vary in their potential effect on Village business. The possibility of disaster decreases in likelihood with the higher classes of disaster, making the possibility of nuclear attack one of the least likely disasters to occur and the loss of a document the most likely. Every level of disaster is important and proper steps must be taken to ensure that the Village can recover no matter the classification of disaster that might strike. However, a Class One Disaster plan for the Village does not exist, and any part the Village officers and staff would play during such a disaster would be based on township, county and state emergency plans for recovery of the entire area, not just the Village. Therefore, the role of the Records Management Officer will be a secondary priority during a major disaster and the concerns that go with that position with the exception of those records needed during the disaster. No matter the disaster, there are certain guidelines that should be followed in any disaster, whether it is major or minor. The guidelines are as follows:

(1) Remain calm and collected as possible. Panic causes mistakes.

(2) Speak in a level voice. Yelling makes those working with you make mistakes.

(3) Focus on the solution not the problem.

(4) Make all instructions as clear as possible and confirm receipt and understanding.

(5) Follow established guidelines, but vary from them if necessary as called for.

(6) Welfare of people takes precedence in any situation, and their safety should be considered in any emergency.

D. The above hints and suggestions are just a few of the things that should be taken into account when approaching any situation. Of course, not all situations will call for a concern for the safety of others or any of the other hints listed above, but a healthy understanding of the relevance of the records in the Village's care in relationship to staff safety and over all importance is necessary to the successful completion and preservation of the records in the Village's care given any situation.

E. Refer to Appendix C for specific disaster response guidelines.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Appendix C of the Records Management Policy and Procedure Manual is on file in the Village office.

§ 32-21 Archives management.

The Village Archives is an integral part of the Village's overall records management plan. The Village archives are located in the Village Hall basement. The materials have been transferred to the records center, legal custody is now held by the RMO and archives/records staff; Village departments no longer hold legal custody of material after transfer. This is done to ensure the successful preservation of material for future use by staff and visitors to the archives.

A. Mission statement.

(1) The Incorporated Village of Poquott Archives is charged with the identifying, preserving and making available records of enduring value in all formats and media created or received by the various Village departments, employees and associated sub-functions during the course of normal Village business.

(2) The Village Clerk and Board of Trustees of the Village charge all Village personnel with cooperating and helping the archives with the completion of above stated mission.

B. Collecting policy. The Incorporated Village of Poquott Archives will acquire (in accordance with rules set down within the SARA Retention Schedule MU-1 2000) unpublished records and papers, books, pamphlets, periodicals, brochures, maps, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, microfilm, magnetic tapes and disks directly related to its mission of identifying, preserving and making available for reference records created by or received by the Village in the normal course of government business. In accordance with this charge, materials added by gift, bequest, purchase or other transaction will be limited to material directly related to the Incorporated Village of Poquott and its associated functions; the Village will receive full legal custody and ownership of all material transferred to the archives in any of the above listed methods. Further, material may be removed from the archives by Village staff upon authorization of the archives supervisor due to irrelevance, duplication, lack of space, or any other accepted archival reason for de-accessioning of material.

C. Access policy. The Village Archives is open to the public and Village staff in accordance with accepted archival standards of security and protection. To ensure the security of the material, no record(s) may be removed from the custody of the archives by unauthorized staff for any reason. Requests for duplication or access will be granted under the direct supervision of trained Village staff. The archives reserves the right to deny access to any member of staff or public who abuses, openly rejects or disregards the rules and guidelines outlined during visits by Village staff.

D. Reference guidelines. Visitors, researchers and Village staff wishing to access the archives must make an appointment in advance. All materials within the archives may be viewed unless the collection requested is closed or currently being processed. Researchers are asked only to bring items needed for their work or viewing. No ink based writing implements may be used near documents. Finally, all bags or articles of clothing must be presented for inspection upon leaving the archives as requested. All visitors wishing to view or work with documents must agree to these terms prior to viewing documents.

E. Security. Security of the Village records center/archives is the responsibility of the RMO or assigned staff member. The archives should remain locked with the lights off during nonuse times. Access to the archives should be limited to times when staff are working on or using materials. When not in use, the archives (basement) should be locked and secured with the lights off, and constant humidity and temperature controls. See Appendix B for environmental settings requirements.[1]

Note: Under no circumstances are food or drink of any kind allowed within the records center.

[1] Editor's Note: Appendix B of the Records Management Policy and Procedure Manual is on file in the Village office.

Article II Public Access

[Adopted 7-5-2006]

§ 32-22 Records Access Officer.

[Amended 4-25-2013 by L.L. No. 2-2013]

The Village Clerk of the Village of Poquott is hereby appointed the Records Access Officer of the Village of Poquott, and the Mayor, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees, may from time to time appoint a Deputy Records Access Officer for the Village.

§ 32-23 Official form required.

The form attached to this resolution and made part hereof is hereby adopted as the official Freedom of Information Law request form, and no request for review, access or inspection of any record of the Village may be processed without a completed form being submitted to the records access officer of the Village by the requesting party and the form is processed by the records access officer as detailed in this resolution.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: The request form is on file in the Village office.

§ 32-24 Agency or authorization.

In the event that a request is made by any person or party on behalf of another person, party or entity, a notarized letter of agency or authorization signed by the party for whom the request is being made and notarized as to the authenticity of the signature of the person giving the agency or authority must accompany the request form.

§ 32-25 Administration and response to requests.

A. It shall be the duty of the records access officer to properly administer the requests, to advise the appropriate official, party, or board of the Village that the request has been received so that it can be processed, and to respond to the request within the requirements of the Freedom of Information Law.

B. Upon receipt of a request the records access officer shall date stamp the request form indicating the date of receipt by the officer. The form shall receive a sequential numbering for identification which shall be year of receipt followed by a sequential number, which shall start with the number one on the first request received after the date of adoption of this resolution.

C. Upon the completion of the identification of the request by the records access officer, the records access officer shall forward a copy of the request to the appropriate department or person in the Village to be processed, and shall also transmit a copy of the request indicating the date received and the sequential number to the Mayor and the Village Attorney.

D. The records access officer shall maintain a log of the requests made for each year which shall indicate the sequential number of the request, the date received, the party making the request, and the action taken by the Village.

E. The records access officers shall also maintain a file by year and in sequence of all of the requests received and shall note on each request the action taken, including the response to the requesting party and the records provided, including the dates and the person or party to whom a response or records was given.

§ 32-26 Fees and costs.

The Village shall charge $0.25 per page for any copies of records provided in response to any request which shall be paid in advance of the records being released to the person requesting them, and any charges actually incurred by the Village in addition to that shall also be charged to the requesting party.