173.05 DISPOSAL OF RECORDS.
   (a)   Following the approval by the department or agency heads, schedules of record retention and disposal or applications of one time records disposals are to be submitted to the Records Commission for approval or amendment. Except as provided in subsection (d) hereof, prior to records disposal, approval of the Ohio Historical Society and the Auditor of the State of Ohio is required. Each of these agencies shall be permitted sixty days to review records before disposal, giving them the opportunity to disapprove the same. The failure of either agency to disapprove the applications within the prescribed period shall constitute a waiver thereof.
   (b)   Once all appropriate authorities have reviewed and approved the various retention and disposal documents, destruction or transfer of records is permitted when they reach the end of their assigned retention period, subject to the 15 day notification period as found in paragraph (d).
   (c)   Once records have been destroyed or transferred, a certificate of records disposal shall be prepared and forwarded to the Records Commission with one original and one copy forwarded to the Ohio Historical Society. The Ohio Historical Society will forward the copy provided to the Ohio State Auditor. The certificate of records disposal serves as the official record of the actual disposal.
   (d)   Notwithstanding any other provision herein, once the retention periods have been established and approved by all authorities, records may be disposed of in accordance with the retention schedule without seeking new authorization for each disposal; however, the office or agency intending to dispose of the records shall file a certificate of (intended) records disposal, a minimum of fifteen days prior to disposal, with the Records Commission. The Records Commission shall forward the certificate to the Ohio Historical Society. If no disapproval is made by the Ohio Historical Society by the expiration of the fifteen-day period, the records shall be destroyed and such certificate serves as the official record of the actual disposal. The submission of the certificate may be in accordance with the state agencies’ procedures if they differ from what has been stated herein. State certification language may be altered to conform with actual procedures developed by state agencies or this chapter.
   (e)   Mailing of any notice as provided for in this chapter may be made by regular U.S. Mail or other means as acceptable to the Ohio Historical Society. Unless the mail is returned to the sender, it shall be deemed received. The period of time shall commence from the date of mailing.
(Ord. 063-07. Passed 8-6-07.)