CHAPTER 37: RECORDS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Section

   37.01   Title of chapter; policy; purpose

   37.02   Applicability

   37.03   Definitions

   37.04   City records declared public property

   37.05   Records Management Committee

   37.06   Records Management Plan

   37.07   Records Management Officer designated; duties

   37.08   Duties of department heads

   37.09   Designation of Records Liaison Officers; duties

   37.10   Development and approval of records control schedules; filing with state library

   37.11   Implementation of records control schedules; destruction of records under schedule

   37.12   Destruction of records not listed on records control schedule

   37.13   Records center

   37.14   Micrographics/electronic storage of records

   37.15   Time limits for responding to certain requests

   37.16   Signatures and seals; electronic, digital and facsimile

§ 37.01 TITLE OF CHAPTER; POLICY; PURPOSE.

   This chapter shall be known and be cited as the Records and Information Management Program for the city. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the city to develop a records and information management program that provides for efficient, economical and effective control over the creation, distribution, organization, maintenance, use and disposition of all city records through a comprehensive system of integrated procedures for the management of records from their creation to their ultimate disposition, consistent with the requirements of Tex. Local Gov’t Code §§ 201.001 et seq. and accepted records management practice.

(1998 Code, § 2-201)

§ 37.02 APPLICABILITY.

   All documents, papers, letters, books, maps, photographs, sound or video recordings, microfilm, magnetic tape, electronic media or other information recording media, regardless of physical form or characteristic and regardless of whether public access to it is open or restricted under the laws of the state, created or received by the city or any of its officers or employees pursuant to law or in the transaction of public business, are hereby declared to be the records of the city and shall be created, maintained and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of this chapter or procedures authorized by it, and in no other manner.

(1998 Code, § 2-202)

§ 37.03 DEFINITIONS.

   For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.

   DEPARTMENT HEAD. The officer who, by the Charter or by ordinance, order or administrative policy, is in charge of a department of the city that creates or receives records.

   ESSENTIAL RECORD. Any record of the city necessary to the resumption or continuation of operations of the city in an emergency or disaster, to the re-creation of the legal and financial status of the city or the protection and fulfillment of obligations to the people of the state.

   PERMANENT RECORD. Any record of the city for which the retention period on a records control schedule is given as permanent.

   RECORDS CONTROL SCHEDULE. A document prepared by or under the authority of the Records Management Officer listing the records maintained by the city, their retention periods and other records disposition information that the Records Management Program may require.

   RECORDS LIAISON OFFICERS. The persons designated under § 37.09(A) of this chapter.

   RECORDS MANAGEMENT. The application of management techniques to the creation, use, maintenance, retention, preservation and disposal of records for the purpose of reducing the costs and improving the efficiency of recordkeeping. The term includes the development of records control schedules, the management of filing and information retrieval systems, space-effective storage of inactive records, control over the creation and distribution of forms, reports and correspondence, and the management of micrographics and electronic and other records storage systems.

   RECORDS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. The Committee established in § 37.05 of this chapter.

   RECORDS MANAGEMENT OFFICER. The person designated in § 37.07(A) of this chapter.

   RECORDS MANAGEMENT PLAN. The plan developed under § 37.06 of this chapter.

   RETENTION PERIOD. The minimum time that must pass after the creation, recording or receipt of a record or the fulfillment of certain actions associated with a record before it is eligible for destruction.

(1998 Code, § 2-203)

§ 37.04 CITY RECORDS DECLARED PUBLIC PROPERTY.

   All city records, as defined in § 37.02 of this chapter, are hereby declared to be the property of the city. No city official or employee has, by virtue of his or her position, any personal or property right to such records, even though he or she may have developed or compiled them. The unauthorized destruction, removal from files or use of such records is prohibited.

(1998 Code, § 2-204)

Statutory reference:

   Similar provisions, see Tex. Local Gov’t Code § 201.005

§ 37.05 RECORDS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.

   (A)   A Records Management Committee consisting of four people shall be appointed by the Mayor. One Committee member shall be the City Attorney.

   (B)   The Committee shall:

      (1)   Assist the Records Management Officer in the development of policies and procedures governing the Records Management Program;

      (2)   Review the performance of the program on a regular basis and propose changes and improvements if needed;

      (3)   Review and approve records control schedules submitted by the Records Management Officer;

      (4)   Give final approval to the destruction of records in accordance with approved records control schedules; and

      (5)   Actively support and promote the Records Management Program throughout the city.

(1998 Code, § 2-205)