[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of Colebrookdale Township as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 9-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2-2009]
The Board of Commissioners of Colebrookdale Township desires to provide for the orderly retention, disposition, and storage of those records created and received by the Township. The General Assembly has enacted the Municipal Records Act[1] and established the Local Government Records Committee to promulgate schedules for the retention and disposition of public records to aid municipalities in their management of public records. It is the intent of the Board of Commissioners to follow the schedules for the retention and disposition of public records promulgated by the Local Government Records Committee as authorized by the Municipal Records Act.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 1381 et seq.
When used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BOARD
The Board of Commissioners of Colebrookdale Township, Berks County.
COMMISSION
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, or any successor thereto.
COMMITTEE
The Local Government Records Committee established pursuant to the Municipal Records Act.
RECORD
Any paper, book, map, photograph or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by the Township or any agency of the Township in pursuance of law or in connection with the exercise of its legitimate functions and the discharge of its responsibilities.
RECORDS RETENTION AND DISPOSITION SCHEDULE
The schedule for the retention and disposition of public records as adopted and approved by the Township.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Colebrookdale, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
A. 
Specific Township records. The following specifically enumerated Township records shall be maintained for the period of time immediately following such record. After the expiration of such time, the record shall be shredded. The time shall be measured from the date of creation of the record as evidenced by the record itself. In the case of an undated record, the time shall be measured from the date of receipt of the record by the Township.
(1) 
Bank statements/deposit slips: seven years.
(2) 
Cancelled checks: seven years.
(3) 
Ledgers/journals: seven years.
(4) 
Invoices/bills/vouchers: seven years.
(5) 
Routine correspondence: three years.
(6) 
Tax records - assessment books: seven years.
(7) 
General/special tax ledgers: seven years.
(8) 
Lien documents: seven years.
(9) 
Paid receipts: seven years from payment receipt.
(10) 
Public utility realty reports: seven years.
(11) 
Tax bills, paid receipts: seven years.
(12) 
Tax Collector reports to DCED: 10 years.
(13) 
Tax duplicates: seven years.
(14) 
Tax Collector settlement records: 10 years.
(15) 
Tax notice certification statements: two years.
B. 
General Township records. All those other Township Records not specifically enumerated in Subsection A, above, shall be disposed of in accordance with the Municipal Records Manual, as promulgated by the Commission approved on December 16, 2008 and as may be amended by the Commission and Committee from time to time and reauthorized from time to time by resolution of the Board, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein, and marked as Exhibit A.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit A is on file in the Township offices.
A. 
Nonpermanent records. Any officer, employee or Committee, of the Township shall have the authority to destroy nonpermanent public records by shredding or other approved method of destruction if all of the following conditions have been met:
(1) 
The Board shall have approved each individual act of disposition by resolution. The resolution shall include a record of all public records destroyed or otherwise disposed of, shall be kept for reporting purposes and shall list the date and method of disposal, a description of the public record sufficient for identification, inclusive dates of such public records, and quantity (in cubic feet). The form of Resolution which is to be used is contained at Appendix "C" in the Municipal Records Manual referenced in § 96-3, above.
(2) 
Microfilm or electronic record copies may be substituted for non-permanent records unless otherwise noted in the schedule. All copies must meet appropriate standards approved by the Committee.
B. 
Permanent records. Any officer, employee or Committee, of the Township shall have the authority to destroy permanent public records by shredding or other approved method of destruction if all of the following conditions have been met:
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(1) 
The Board shall have approved each individual act of disposition by resolution. The resolution shall include a record of all public records destroyed or otherwise disposed of, shall be kept for reporting purposes and shall list the date and method of disposal, a description of the public record sufficient for identification, inclusive dates of such public records, and quantity (in cubic feet). The form of Resolution which is to be used is contained at Appendix "C" in the Municipal Records Manual referenced in § 96-3, above.
(2) 
The Board must receive written consent from the Commission by submitting a Records Disposal Certification Request in duplicate to the Commission's Bureau of Archives and History before destroying or transferring original, permanent valuable records which have been photographed, microfilmed, or micrographed. Microfilm substitutions of these records must meet the standards approved by the Local Government Records Committee.
(3) 
The Board must also receive written consent from the Commission to transfer or destroy a record if it is not listed on the schedule or the records were created prior to 1910 by submitting a Records Disposal Certification Request.
All public records whether in the original form or in reproduced form as provided by § 96-4, above, shall be retained for the time periods set forth in the Records Retention and Disposition Schedule adopted in § 96-3, hereof, and contained in the Municipal Records Manual described above. When the retention period has expired the documents may be destroyed by shredding or other disposition if the requirements of § 96-4, above, have been met. A record of all public records destroyed or otherwise disposed of shall be kept for reporting purposes and shall list the date and method of disposal, a description of the public record sufficient for identification, inclusive dates of such public records and quantity (in cubic feet).
Nothing in this article shall prevent the Township from retaining any public record or records longer than the periods provided in the Records Retention and Disposition Schedule approved by the Committee.
If any sentence, clause, section or part of this article is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality or invalidity shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, sections or parts of this article. It is hereby declared as the intent of the Board of Commissioners of the Township that this article would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid sentence, clause, section or part thereof not been included therein.
Nothing in this article shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding pending in any court or agency or any rights acquired or liability incurred or any permit issued or any cause or causes of action existing prior to the adoption of this article.
Any and all ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.