§ 77-15. Custody, control and disposition of records.

The Records Management Officer (RMO) shall be responsible for archiving and destruction of all Town-related records with the exception of police and court-related records. The records management staff works with all departments with respect to maintenance of Town records. The Town of North Castle Records Management Policy and Procedures Manual describes department operations with respect to managing, scanning, archiving and destruction procedures.

A. 

Active records. The originating department has full custody (legal and physical) over paper records stored in each department.

B. 

Inactive records. The originating department is the legal custodian of its inactive paper records until a records transfer or records destruction form is submitted to the RMO for transfer to archives and disposition as per the New York State MU-1 or applicable state or federal retention schedule. Once moved from the originating department, the RMO will have physical custody of records and will determine the method and storage within the archives and the eventual destruction therein.

C. 

Digital records stored in electronic content management system (ECMS). Active and inactive records stored in the Town's ECMS are the responsibility of the RMO. The Records Management Officer is responsible for the custody and maintenance, including monitoring the successful completion of database backups of the Town's ECMS, and acts as the ECMS Administrator. Department scanning projects and business processes are developed collaboratively between records management staff and individual departmental personnel.

D. 

Archival records. Records transferred to or acquired by the archives shall be under the full custody (legal or physical) of the archives, as directed by the RMO, rather than the department which created or held them immediately prior to being transferred to the archives.

(1) 

Paper records shall be transferred to the archives upon the recommendation of the RMO, with the approval of the department head having custody of the records.

(2) 

Paper records may be removed temporarily from the archives at the request of the RMO or department head originally having custody of the records.

E. 

Disposition of records. No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed by any employee or Town official until it has met the time limit of the applicable retention schedule. No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed by the Records Management Officer without the express written consent of the authorized department head. No records shall be destroyed that are part of a pending audit, litigation or e-discovery.