[Adopted 1-8-1997 by L.L. No. 1-1997]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
RECORDS
Any documents, books, papers, photographs, sound recordings, microfilms
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 Town of Plattekill business.
RECORDS CENTER
As established and maintained by the Town of Plattekill primarily
for the storage, servicing, security and processing of records which must
be reserved for varying periods of time and need not be retained in office
equipment or space.
RECORDS DISPOSITION
A.
The removal by the Town of Plattekill, 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:
(1)
The disposal of temporary records by destruction or donation; or
(2)
The transfer of records to the records center/archives for temporary
storage of inactive records and permanent storage of records determined to
have historical or other sufficient value warranting continued preservation.
B.
The transfer of records from one Town of Plattekill agency to any other
Town of Plattekill agency.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
The planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promotion
and other managerial use and records disposition, including records preservation,
records disposal and records centers or other storage facilities.
SERVICING
Making information in records available to any Town of Plattekill
agency for official use to the public.
There shall be a records management program established under the aegis
of the Town Clerk, who shall be appointed as Records Management Officer (RMO).
The officer will be responsible for administering the noncurrent and archival
public records and storage areas of the Town of Plattekill with local, state
and federal laws and guidelines. The RMO shall have all the necessary powers
to carry out the efficient administration, determinations 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 Town of Plattekill,
including but not limited to the following:
A. 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, including but
not limited to the following:
(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.
B. Establish guidelines for proper records management in
any department or agency of the Town of Plattekill in accordance with local,
state and federal laws and guidelines.
C. Report annually to the Town Board on the powers and duties
herein mentioned, including but not limited to the cost/benefit ratio of programs
effectuated by the department.
D. Operate a records management center for the storage,
processing and servicing of all noncurrent and archival records for all Town
of Plattekill departments and agencies.
E. Establish a Town of Plattekill archives and perform the
following functions:
(1) Advise and assist Town of Plattekill departments in reviewing
and selecting material to be transferred to the Town of Plattekill archives
for preservation.
(2) Continually survey and examine public records to determine
the most suitable methods to be pursued for the creating, maintaining, storage
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 services to other Town of Plattekill
offices.
(7) Collect archival materials which are not official Town
of Plattekill records but which have associational value to the Town of Plattekill
or a close relationship to the existing archival collection. Such collecting
shall be subject to archive space, staff and cost limitation 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 five persons, namely the Town of Plattekill designated counsel, the Supervisor,
a member of the Town Board appointed by the Supervisor, the Town Historian
and an interested citizen appointed by the RMO. 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 performances of the program on an ongoing
basis and propose changes and improvements.
C. Review retention periods proposed by the Records Management
Officer for records not covered by state archives schedules.
D. Provide advice on the appraisal of records for archival
value and to be the final signoff entry as to what is or is not archival.
The Town Board's Attorney, when authorized, may take steps to recover
local government records which have been alienated from proper custody and
may, when necessary, institute an action of common law or, under the New York
Civil Practice Law and Rules, an action to recover a chattel.
No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by a department
of the Town of Plattekill 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 and the Records Advisory Board.