RECORDS
MANAGEMENT
City of Oregon City
“That was then… this is now!”
Current Conditions
Negative
Records stored in
container in parking lot;
attic at PW; any shelf,
closet, cabinet, or corner
No central storage
Storage areas are not
climate controlled
Staff not trained
Historical records at risk
Inadequate staff
Positive (Now & future)
State’s HP TRIM implemented
Retention schedules
implemented
Bi-annual records destruction
procedures implemented
Grateful Shred Days held
annually
Record liaisons assigned from
each department
Trainings held as needed
Acquired off-site, climatecontrolled storage
Mission Statement
The City Recorder’s Office will preserve,
maintain, and provide ready access to
public records to the Citizen, the Public
Servant, and the City Commission in an
efficient, transparent, and timely manner
in conformance with all State laws and
City policies.
2014-2018 Records Management
STRATEGIC PLAN
CITY OF OREGON CITY
Goal #1:
Public records are created, identified, appropriately scheduled, and
managed according to retention requirements..
Goal #2:
Electronic public records, including digital recordings, electronic mail,
digital communications, and social media records, are controlled, preserved, and
made accessible according to retention requirements..
Goal #3:
Increase transparency of City Government by ensuring that public
records are easy to access regardless of where they are or where users are for as
long as required by records retention regulations.
Goal #4:
All public records are preserved in an appropriate environment.
Goal #5:
Strategically manage, educate, and align staff, technology, and
processes to achieve the mission and provide a means to measure the performance.
Records Survey - Departments
Does your department retain its records series at the stated
minimums or beyond the minimums?
Answers: Yes; unknown; beyond (This indicates lack of training)
Where is the original copy of your record stored?
Answers: In our department; file cabinets; city network; storage unit
(This indicates inefficient “decentralized” records management.)
Name the media types associated with your records?
Answers: CDs, photos; electronic copies on servers; data bases;
videotapes; mylars; DVDs; cassette tapes; hard copies; microfilm;
social media. (This indicates a need for management of many media
types.)
Have staff members ever received training in records retention?
Answers: No. (This indicates where the greatest need lies.)
Have staff members ever received training in e-mail policies?
Answers: No. (This is a set-up for a legal disaster.)
What is a Public Record?
"Public record” means any information that:
A. Is prepared, owned, used or retained by a state
agency or political subdivision;
B. Relates to an activity, transaction or function of a
state agency or political subdivision; and
C. Is necessary to satisfy the fiscal, legal,
administrative or historical policies, requirements
or needs of the state agency or political
subdivision.
ORS 192.005(5) (See ORS for complete definition)
What is a Public Record?
The life cycle of a record:
Creation & receipt: Correspondence, forms, reports,
etc.
Distribution: Internal & external
Use: Decision making, documentation, response,
reference
Maintenance: File, retrieve, transfer
Disposition: Inactive storage, archive, destroy
Why Records Management?
To provide information that is timely, accurate,
complete, cost-effective, accessible and
useable. Example: A new commissioner wants to
compare the City’s comprehensive plan from the ’80s to
today’s. Good records management will meet this
request efficiently & accurately.
Many organizations now consider its information
“strategic” in nature. (Past information is needed to
develop future strategies.)
Why Records Management?
To Ensure Regulatory Compliance
Comply with laws and regulations that define records
management. (ORS Chapter 192)
Non-compliance could result in severe fines, penalties or
other legal consequences.
To Minimize Litigation Risks
Reduce the liabilities associated with document disposal
by providing for their systematic, routine disposal in the
normal course of business and according to Statutemandated regulations.
Why Records Management?
To Safeguard Essential Information
Identify essential records and develop a plan for
protection in the event of disaster.
To Support Better Management Decision Making
By implementing file organization agency-wide, including
indexing and retrieval capability, managers can obtain
and assemble pertinent information quickly for current
decisions and future business planning purposes.
Next Steps?
Activate the five-year strategic plan for
records management, contingent on
availability of funds
- Minimal costs for offsite records storage and clean-up
day
- Cost for additional FTE – records manager
- Cost for central records storage center in new city hall
- Cost for electronic document management upgrades
- Cost for computer/printer kiosk for public research
Next Steps…..
Train staff in essentials of records
retention
Assign records liaisons in each dept.
Implement an annual clean-up day
Develop annual plan for maintenance of
new policies and procedures
Clean-up Day
City Manager proposes to close City Hall
May 23rd for citywide records clean-up
City Recorder trains staff on records
management and retention
Staff devotes one day to identifying and
disposing of records
Annual event
Comments?