[Adopted 5-26-1998 by L.L. No. 9-1998 (Ch.
15, Art. I, of the 1968 Code)]
There shall be a records management program
established under aegis of the Village of Patchogue and headed by
the Village Clerk as records management officer (RMO). The officer
will be responsible for administering the noncurrent and archival
public records and storage areas for the Village of Patchogue in accordance
with local, state and federal laws and guidelines.
The officer shall have all the necessary powers
to carry out the efficient administration, 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 Village of Patchogue.
A. The records management officer shall 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. Classifications shall
be as follows:
(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. The officer shall establish guidelines for proper
records management in any department or agency of the Village of Patchogue
in accordance with local, state and federal laws and guidelines.
C. The officer shall 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 programs effectuated
by the department.
D. The officer shall operate a records management center
for the storage, processing and servicing of all noncurrent and archival
records for all Village of Patchogue departments and agencies.
E. The officer shall establish a Village of Patchogue
archives and perform the following functions:
(1) Advise and assist Village of Patchogue departments
in reviewing and selecting material to be transferred to the Village
of Patchogue 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 and services to other offices.
(7) Collect archival materials which are not official
Village of Patchogue records but which have associational value to
the 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 the Village Board. 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
office for records not covered by state archives' schedules.
D. 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.
No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed
of by a department of the Village of Patchogue 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.
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 recordings,
microforms or any other materials, regardless of physical form or
characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or
in connection with the transaction of official Village of Patchogue
business.
RECORDS CENTER
An establishment maintained by the Village of Patchogue 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
The removal by the Village of Patchogue, 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:
A.
The disposal of temporary records by destruction
or donation.
B.
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.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
The planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training,
promotion and other managerial use and records disposition, including
records preservation, records disposal and records center or other
storage facilities.
SERVICING
Making information in records available to any agency for
official use or to the public.