Records are essential to the administration of local government. They
contain the information that keeps government programs functioning. It is
our intent that a records management program be established which will assist
officials in making decisions, administering programs and providing administrative
continuity with past operations. The program would be intended to document
delivery of services, show the legal responsibilities of government and protect
the legal rights of citizens. It will contain information on taxation and
on the management and expenditure of funds. These records will also document
the historical development of government itself, the community and the people
of the Town of Somers.
The Town Clerk is designated as the Records Management Officer and will
be responsible for administering the current and archival public records in
storage areas for the Town of Somers in accordance with local, state and federal
laws and guidelines.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
ARCHIVES
Those official records which have been determined by the Record Management
Officer and Advisory Committee to have sufficient historical or other value
to warrant the continued preservation by the town.
RECORDS
Official files, minutes and documents, books, papers, photographs,
sound recordings, microforms or any other materials, regardless of physical
form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or
in conjunction with the transaction of official town business.
RECORDS CENTER
An establishment maintained by the Records Management Officer 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
The removal by the town 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 the disposition of temporary
records by destruction or donation, or the transfer of records to a central
storage facility for temporary or permanent storage of records determined
to have historical or other sufficient value warranting continued preservation,
and the transfer of records from one town agency to another town agency.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
The planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promotion
and other managerial activities involved in records creation, records maintenance
and use and records disposition, including records preservation, records disposal
and the records center or other storage facilities.
SERVICING
Making information in records available to any agency for official
use or to the public.
The Records Management Officer shall have all the necessary powers deemed
appropriate to carry out the efficient administration, determination of value,
use, preservation, storage and disposition of the public records kept, filed
or received by the officers and departments of the Town of Somers.
A. The Records Management Officer shall continually survey
and examine public records to recommend their classification so as to determine
the most suitable method to be used for the maintaining, storing and servicing
of the following:
(1) Obsolete and unnecessary records, according to the New
York State retention and disposition schedules, thereby subject to disposition.
(2) Information containing administrative, legal, fiscal,
research, historical or educational value which warrants its permanent retention.
(3) Records not subject to disposition according to state
law.
B. The Records Management Officer shall establish guidelines
for proper records management in any department of the town government in
accordance with local, state and federal laws and guidelines.
C. The Records Management Officer shall report annually
to the Town Board on the powers and duties herein mentioned, including but
not limited to the development and progress of programs to date and planned
activities for subsequent years.
D. The Records Management Officer shall operate a central
records management storage facility for the storage, processing and servicing
of all town records for all town departments and agencies.
E. Additional requirements of the Records Management Officer
include but are not limited to:
(1) The development of a comprehensive records management
program.
(2) An annual report of records stored.
(3) The encouragement and coordination of the continuous
legal destruction of obsolete records through the adoption and use of the
state archive record retention and distribution schedules.
(4) The development and a suitable retention period for records
not covered by the state records retention and disposition schedules.
(5) The assistance to each department for the establishment
of a records management system to support the overall town records management
program.
(6) The setting up and overseeing of a center for the storage
of inactive records.
(7) The coordinating and carrying out or participating in
the planning for development of advanced records management systems and equipment.
(8) The preparation of special and annual reports for the
Town Board on records management program progress, cost savings and cost avoidance
problems and additional issues.
There shall be a Records Advisory Board designated to work closely with
and provide advice to the Records Management Officer. The Board shall meet
periodically and have the following duties:
A. To provide advice to the Records Management Officer on
the development of the records management program.
B. To review the performance of the program on an ongoing
basis and propose changes and improvements.
C. To review retention periods proposed by the Records Management
Officer for records not covered by the state archive schedules.
D. To provide advice on the appraisal of records for archival
value and to be the final sign-off entity as to what is or is not archival.
The Records Management Officer shall maintain physical
custody and the official responsibility for all records. Department heads
shall retain constructive control and authority over all department records.
No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by a department
of the Town of Somers 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.