As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AUTHORITY
Any City entity having custody of a City record including
an office, elected official, agency, board, commission, committee,
council, department or public body corporate and politic created by
constitution, law, ordinance, rule or order; or a formally constituted
subunit of the foregoing.
CUSTODIAN
That officer, department head, division head or employee of the City designated under §
90-3 below or otherwise responsible by law to keep and preserve any City records or file, deposit or keep such records in his office, or is lawfully in possession or entitled to possession of such public records and who is required by this section to respond to requests for access to such records.
RECORD
Any material on which written, drawn, printed, spoken, visual
or electromagnetic information is recorded or preserved, regardless
of physical form or characteristics, which has been created or is
being kept by an authority. "Record" includes, but is not limited
to, handwritten, typed or printed pages, maps, charts, photographs,
films, recordings, tapes (including computer tapes), computer printouts
and optical disks. "Record" does not include drafts, notes, preliminary
computations and like materials prepared for the originator's
personal use or prepared by the originator in the name of a person
for whom the originator is working; materials which are purely the
personal property of the custodian and have no relation to his office;
materials to which access is limited by copyright, patent or bequest;
and published materials in the possession of an authority other than
a public library which are available for sale, or which are available
for inspection at a public library.
[Amended 4-14-2015 by Ord. No. 233]
Pursuant to § 19.34, Wis. Stats., and the guidelines
therein listed, each authority shall adopt, prominently display and
make available for inspection and copying at its offices, for the
guidance of the public, a notice containing a description of its organization
and the established times and places at which the legal custodian
from whom and the methods whereby the public may obtain information
and access to records in its custody, make requests for records, or
obtain copies of records, and the costs thereof. Each authority shall
also prominently display at its offices, for the guidance of the public,
a copy of this section. This section does not apply to members of
the Common Council.
[Amended 4-14-2015 by Ord. No. 233]
City officers may destroy the following nonutility records of
which they are the legal custodian and which are considered obsolete
after completion of an audit by state auditors or an auditor licensed
under Ch. 442, Wis. Stats., but not less than seven years after payment
or receipt of any sum involved in the particular transaction unless
a shorter period has been fixed or will, in the future, be fixed by
the State Public Records Board, pursuant to § 16.61(3)(e),
Wis. Stats., and then after such shorter period:
A. Bank statements, deposit books, slips and stubs.
B. Bonds and coupons after maturity.
C. Canceled checks, duplicates and check stubs.
D. License and permit applications, stubs and duplicates.
E. Payrolls and other time and employment records of personnel included
under the Wisconsin Retirement Fund.
G. Special assessment records.
H. Vouchers, requisitions, purchase orders and all other supporting
documents pertaining thereto.
City officers may destroy the following utility records of which
they are the legal custodians and which are considered obsolete after
completion of any required audit by the Bureau of Municipal Audit
or an auditor licensed under Ch. 442, Wis. Stats., subject to State
Public Service Commission regulations, but not less than seven years
after the record was effective unless a shorter period has been fixed
by the State Public Records Board pursuant to § 16.61(3)(e),
Wis. Stats., and then after such a shorter period, except that water
stubs, receipts of current billings and customers' ledgers may
be destroyed after two years:
A. Water and sewer stubs and receipts of current billings.
C. Vouchers and supporting documents pertaining to charges not included
in plant accounts.
D. Other utility records after seven years with the written approval
of the State Public Service Commission.
Any City officer may destroy the following records of which
he is the legal custodian and which are considered obsolete, but not
less than seven years after the record was effective, unless another
period has been set by statute, or by the State Public Records Board
pursuant to § 16.61(3)(e), Wis. Stats., and then after such
a shorter period:
A. Assessment rolls and related records, including Board of Review minutes.
B. Contracts and papers relating thereto.
C. Correspondence and communications.
D. Financial reports other than annual financial reports.
G. Reports of boards, commissions, committees and officials duplicated
in the Common Council minutes.
H. Resolutions and petitions.
Unless notice is waived by the State Historical Society, at
least 60 days' notice shall be given the State Historical Society
prior to the destruction of any record as provided in § 19.21(4)(a),
Wis. Stats.
[Amended 4-14-2015 by Ord. No. 233]
Any recording of a governmental meeting of the City may be destroyed,
erased or reused no sooner than 90 days after the minutes of the meeting
have been approved and published if the purpose of the recording was
to make minutes of the meeting.
This article shall not be construed to authorize the destruction
of any public record after a period less than prescribed by statute
or state administrative regulations.
Any City officer or the head of any department or division of
City government may keep and preserve public records in his possession
by means of microfilm or other photographic reproduction method. Such
records shall meet the standards for photographic reproduction set
forth in § 16.61(7)(a) and (b), Wis. Stats., and shall be
considered original records for all purposes. Such records shall be
preserved along with other files of the department or division and
shall be open to public inspection and copying according to the provisions
of state law and this Code.