BOARD MEETING DATE: September 7, 2007
AGENDA NO. 16

PROPOSAL:

Adopt Resolution Amending Records Retention Schedule

SYNOPSIS:

State law authorizes the governing body of a local district to approve a records retention schedule that classifies district records and establishes a standard protocol for the disposition or destruction of records. On May 6, 2005, the Governing Board adopted the District’s Records Retention Policy and Records Retention Schedule. Pursuant to the Policy, District staff has conducted a periodic review of the current records categories and retention periods and has made recommendations for changes where appropriate.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, July 20, 2007, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Adopt the attached resolution amending the District’s Records Retention Schedule, as reflected in the attachment to the resolution.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

California Government Code section 60201 authorizes the District to adopt and comply with a records retention schedule that classifies all of the District's records by category and establishes a standard protocol for destruction or disposition of records (Government Code section 60201(b)(2)). On May 6, 2005, the Governing Board updated the District’s Records Retention Policy and the Records Retention Schedule. All AQMD records and information must be retained and disposed of only in accordance with the retention periods specified in the AQMD’s Records Retention Schedule, and pursuant to the Records Retention Policy and procedures.  

Since the adoption of the updated Records Retention Policy and the Records Retention Schedule in May 2005, Records Retention Coordinators have been appointed by each department. These coordinators are responsible for the implementation of the Records Retention Schedule and for evaluating the effectiveness of existing retention schedules. As a result, the AQMD’s off-site storage inventory of paper records has been decreasing. As of April 2007, over 3,400 cubic feet of documents have been destroyed and further reductions should continue incrementally as documents reach the end of their retention period.

Over the past several months, in accordance with the Records Retention Policy, the District Counsel’s Office, in coordination with the Information Management Division and the Records Retention Coordinators, conducted a review of the Records Retention Policy and the Records Retention Schedule to determine if revisions should be proposed to the Governing Board. Based upon this review, it was determined that additional records have been identified and should be added to the Schedule. Also, there are some current records categories that would be more efficiently managed with a shorter retention period.

Resource Impact

There are no specific costs associated with the proposed amendments to the Records Retention Schedule. The revised retention schedule, however, should result in the continued effective and efficient management of records, which may generate additional cost savings.

Attachment (EXE 128kb)
Resolution Amending the District’s Records Retention Schedule
Draft Amended Records Retention Schedule (Underline/strikeout)