"City clerk"
means the clerk of the city of Ketchikan, Alaska, or designee.
"Historical value"
means records that will be useful at a later date in reconstructing a general history of the development and government of the city.
"Inactive records"
means those records no longer required in active office areas but which require further retention due to legal, operating or historical reasons.
"Legal value"
means a record that relates to current or possible legal action by or against the city, and records relating to land, construction, legislative and judicial actions of the city council, or potential court claims.
"Maintenance of public records"
means the creation, maintenance, protection, use, and disposition of all public records of the city, including the establishment and maintenance of a system of filing and indexing public records.
"Public record"
means all recorded information acquired or stored by the city for future use or preservation, including any document, paper, book, letter, photograph, microfilm, map, drawing, chart, card, magnetic media, computer printout or electronically transmitted data, including email, developed or received under law or in connection with the transaction of official business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by the city, as evidence of the organization, function, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the city or because of their informational value. Public records do not include:
(1) 
Library and museum material developed or acquired and preserved solely for reference, historical or exhibition purposes, extra copies of documents preserved solely for convenience of reference, or stocks of publications and processed documents;
(2) 
Records deemed by law to be confidential or which are prohibited from being inspected by the public by law;
(3) 
Reference files;
(4) 
Transitory files.
"Record series"
is any group of identical or related records which are normally used and filed as a unit and which permit evaluation as a unit for retention scheduling purposes.
"Reference files"
means copies of notes and similar working papers accumulated in preparation of a communication, study or other writing or record.
"Transitory file"
means transmittal letters, suspense copies when a reply has been received, routine requests for information and publications, tracer letters, feeder reports and the like.
"Vital records"
means those records necessary to assure continuance of essential governmental operations to protect the legal and financial operation of the city in the event of disaster or catastrophic loss of the city's records.
(Ord. 1417, 1999)
(a) 
All public records shall be the property of the city unless otherwise provided by law and in this regard such records shall be delivered by outgoing officials and employees to their successors.
(b) 
The city clerk may initiate actions to recover records unlawfully removed from municipal possession.
(Ord. 1417, 1999)
A records advisory committee is hereby established consisting of the city manager, Ketchikan public utilities manager, director of finance, city attorney and city clerk, or their designee.
(Ord. 1417, 1999)
(a) 
No records may be destroyed until such time as the city council approves a record retention schedule by resolution.
(b) 
Reference files, transitory files and records disposable upon the occurrence of an event may be disposed of by city departments at their discretion when they are no longer required for the transaction of city business.
(c) 
The city clerk shall submit a list of documents scheduled for disposal, in accordance with the retention schedule adopted by the city council, to each member of the records advisory committee.
(d) 
Upon approval by the records advisory committee, the city clerk shall arrange for the destruction of the records in an appropriate manner. Records of a confidential nature shall be disposed of by shredding.
(e) 
The city clerk shall inform the city council after January 1st of all obsolete records destroyed during the preceding calendar year.
(Ord. 1417, 1999)
Public records, not otherwise required by law to be preserved in original form, and records that are worn or damaged, may be copied by photostating, photographic, microphotographing, microfilm or other mechanical process which produces a clear, accurate and permanent copy. When such a copy is retained in accordance with this chapter, the original may be destroyed. The copy shall be considered as the original record for all purposes.
(Ord. 1417, 1999)