California City Municipal Code Art. 2 Records Retention, Inspection and Destruction

This Article is intended to assist in the implementation of the California Public Records Act and other state laws relating to the retention, inspection and destruction of public records. This Article shall be interpreted consistently with such statutes.

( Ord. No. 14-725 , § 1, 10-21-2014)

Unless authorized by the City Manager, City Clerk, or City Attorney, no person shall remove writings from the City Hall. As used herein, "writing" includes tangible forms of communications, including, but not limited to, papers, microfilm, audio and video tapes and computer media. The City Manager, the City Clerk, and the City Attorney are authorized agents of the City for filing certified copies of ordinances and resolutions and such other documents as may be required for the proper and efficient conduct of the business of the City.

( Ord. No. 14-725 , § 1, 10-21-2014)

(a) City shall maintain records, and shall develop a records retention schedule, in compliance with the requirements of California Government Code section 34090 et seq., as amended.

(b) The following records shall be retained in perpetuity, unless otherwise provided under state law:

(1) Certificates of incorporation, annexation, detachment, merger, consolidation, subsidization or dissolution;

(2) Minutes of meetings, ordinances and resolution of the Council and city boards or commissions, including the planning commission;

(3) Records affecting title to real property or liens thereon;

(4) Court records;

(5) Records required to be kept by state statute.

( Ord. No. 14-725 , § 1, 10-21-2014)

All records of the City are available for public inspection pursuant to the requirements of the California Public Records Act. California Government Code §§ 6250 et seq., as amended (Act). The City Clerk shall provide copies of identified public records for inspection, unless the record is exempt from disclosure as provided in the Act.

( Ord. No. 14-725 , § 1, 10-21-2014)

(a) Unless otherwise required by the Council or state law, records may be destroyed if a permanent copy of the record is made in compliance with California Government Code section 34090.5 and other related state statutes.

(b) The City Clerk shall submit an annual recommendation for destruction of records to the City Attorney. The City Clerk may destroy records not listed in Section 2-5.203 which are more than two years old, without reserving a copy, provided the destruction is completed in compliance with the City's record retention policy, state law, and is with the written consent of the City Attorney.

(c) The City may destroy the regular and ongoing video of the operations of departments after one year and recordings of telephone and radio communications after one hundred days unless either are the subject of pending litigation.

( Ord. No. 14-725 , § 1, 10-21-2014)