[1]
Editor’s note—Provisions pertaining to the one time destruction of obsolete records no longer applicable as a result of a filing with the Texas State Library and Archive Commission, dated 12/12/95, a copy of which is available in the office of the city secretary.
All city records, regardless of physical form or characteristic, which have been or shall be created, received, filed, or recorded by any city office or department or its lawful successor, or officials thereof in pursuance of law or ordinance or in the conduct, transaction, or performance of any business, duty, or function of public business, whether or not confidential or restricted in use, are hereby declared to be records of the city of Sundown, and shall be created, maintained, and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of this article or procedures authorized by it and in no other manner. Library and museum materials acquired solely for reference, exhibit, or display and stocks of materials acquired solely for reference, exhibit, or display and stocks of publication shall not constitute records for purposes of this article.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-1)
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City of Sundown to provide for efficient, economical, and effective controls over the creation, distribution, organization, maintenance, use, and disposition of all city records through a comprehensive system of integrated procedures for the management of records from their creation to their ultimate disposition.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-2)
The city secretary shall serve as the city records manager, who shall be responsible for city-wide files management and the direction and control of the city’s records disposition program. The records manager shall report to and be responsible to the city administrator.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-3; Ordinance adopting Code)
The records manager shall have the following duties:
(1) 
Plan, formulate, and prescribe basic files management and records disposition policies, system, standards, and procedures.
(2) 
Have prepared a records retention and disposition schedule in cooperation with department heads for all city offices and departments, define and identify vital and permanent records, and establish retention periods for all records. Retention periods shall be no shorter than desired by the originating office, but shall be as long as deemed necessary by either the records manager, the city attorney, or the city finance officer.
(3) 
Review schedules annually and update or amend as needed.
(4) 
Coordinate the city wide files management and records disposition programs and report annually to the city council on program effectiveness in each department.
(5) 
Provide records management advice and assistance to all city offices and departments, by preparation of procedures and policies and by on-site consultation.
(6) 
Develop, disseminate, and coordinate files maintenance and records disposition procedures, including but not limited to those prescribed by this article, to meet the current and long-term information needs of the city.
(7) 
Carry out at the proper time actions such as microphotography, destruction, and transfers that are required by records schedules.
(8) 
Design and manage the operations of a records center for the low cost storage of inactive records.
(9) 
Develop a city wide forms design and control system.
(10) 
Establish in cooperation with other responsible city officials a disaster plan for each city office and department to insure maximum availability of records for re-establishing operations quickly and with minimum disruption and expense.
(11) 
Develop procedure to insure the permanent preservation of the historically valuable records of the city.
(12) 
Protect privacy and assure availability of public information from records stored in records center.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-4)
All city office and department heads are responsible for the implementation and operation of effective files operations, records transfers and disposition, and other activities in accordance with the provisions of this article within their areas of responsibility.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-5)
All city offices and departments shall adopt records retention and disposition schedules and destroy, retention and disposition schedules and destroy, transfer, or otherwise dispose of records only according to such schedules.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-6)
Retention periods to be included in records schedules shall be submitted by the records manager to the city attorney and city finance officer. When records retention and disposition schedule is adopted, it shall thenceforth constitute full authority to destroy, transfer, microphotography, or take other action, and the city council hereby directs that such actions be taken by the records manager or under his supervision. The records manager shall notify the State Librarian of intended destruction as required by law, but no further notice to the city council or other city office shall be required.
Revision of retention periods shall be submitted for review to the city attorney and city finance officer in the same manner as the original retention periods.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-7)
The records center operation shall utilize one or more buildings to store inactive records; to insure the security of such records from deterioration, theft, or damage during the period of storage; to permit fast, efficient retrieval of information from stored records; and to provide facilities for centralized micrographics program.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-9)
The records manager shall develop procedures to insure the permanent preservation of the valuable records of the city. If city-owned facilities are not available, the records manager shall arrange for the transfer of the records to the Texas State Library for perpetual care and preservation in one of its nearby Regional Historical Resource Depositories, or shall make other arrangements for their permanent preservation not contrary to law or regulation. In no circumstances shall the permanent records of the city be transferred to private individuals, to private historical societies or museums, or to private colleges or universities.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-10)
Records no longer required in the conduct of current business by any office of the city shall be promptly transferred to the records center or archives or the State Library, or be destroyed at the time such action is designated on an approved records schedule. Such records shall not be maintained in current office files or equipment.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 2-6-11)