CITY OF CHULA VISTA
Records and Information Management
Procedure for Deletion of Records from Laserfiche
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1. Purpose
The City of Chula Vista’s Records stored in the Laserfiche repository are to be retained for the length of time defined in the City’s Retention Schedule. The Retention Schedule identifies the categories of Records of the City and how long each category shall be retained, consistent with Resolution No. _____________. Records are to be filed in their designated folders in Laserfiche for each department to allow for the automated calculation of retention periods.
Records may not be deleted from Laserfiche or destroyed until they ha ve passed their retention period. This procedure defines the steps to be completed in destroying “official” electronic City Records that are stored in the Laserfiche repository once their retention period has passed. Records that reside outside of the Laserfiche repository are not addressed in this procedure.
2. Scope
This procedure applies to elected officials, employees, Council-appointed board, commission, and committee members, contractors, consultants, and volunteers, who are acting on behalf of the City and have access to, use of, or are involved in the creation, maintenance or storage of the City’s Records, information , and electronic communication and those who are authorized to delete Records from Laserfiche.
3. Definitions
City Records (“Records”):
Defined specifically in applicable statutes, Municipal Code, City business practices, or In the absence of a specific legal definition, the document or information generated as the final output of a City business process or business decision, and In any format, either physical or electronic, structured, or unstructured Legal Hold:
A directive sent from the City Attorney instructing staff to preserve any Records or information relevant to current or anticipated litigation or governmental investigation or other such matters giving rise to a legal obligation to preserve documents and information.
Once a Legal Hold has been sent, retention requirements for Records subject to a Legal Hold are suspended until further notification from the City Attorney.
Records Notification:
An electronic or paper notification generated by the City Clerk and provided to relevant departments that includes information regarding potentially obsolete Records and includes Record categories that shall not be deleted due to their relevance in a legal action, the list of Records eligible for deletion according to the City’s Retention Schedule, the date upon which the obsolete Records are scheduled for deletion, and the deadline for a department to contact the City Clerk to prevent the deletion of listed Records.
Attachment 3
CITY OF CHULA VISTA
Records and Information Management
Procedure for Deletion of Records from Laserfiche
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4. Procedure
Annually, the City Clerk will initiate the process to delete electronic official Records that have met retention requirements from Laserfiche.
a) The City Clerk contacts the City Attorney requesting information regarding any active or potential legal action(s) against the City to determine which category(s) of Records may be relevant to the action and therefore should be preserved and placed on Legal Hold. b) City Clerk searches, or causes a search to be conducted, for the relevant Records, suspends their destruction date and annotates the Records to indicate that they are on Legal Hold. c) City Clerk prepares a Records Notification containing a list of Records eligible for deletion based on the Retention Schedule requirements. The notification specifies the date on which deletion of these Records is scheduled to occur.
d) City Clerk sends the Records Notification to departments regarding the required deletio n of obsolete electronic Records in Laserfiche. Included in the notification is a link to the Retention Schedule and who to contact with questions. The Records Notification is to include the following:
Record categories that shall not be deleted due to their relevance in a legal action. The list of Records eligible for deletion according to the City’s Retention Schedule. The date on which the obsolete Records will be deleted. The deadline for a department to contact the City Clerk to prevent the deletion of the obsolete Records.
e) Departments shall notify the City Clerk’s Office by the deadline on the Records Notification if any of the Records eligible to be deleted should be exempted from deletion and shall provide a written justification for that exemption. In addition, departments shall notify the City Clerk if any of the documents on the list should be considered for continued retention due to ongoing historical value.
f) The City Clerk sends the final list of Records eligible for deletion to the City Attorney and the Finance Director to confirm there is no legal reason for continuing to retain these Records. g) The City Attorney and the Finance Director review and approve the deletion of the eligible Records and send their approval to the City Clerk.
h) On t he designated date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the City Clerk will delete the Records that have passed their retention period and have not been held for any legal or business reason.
City Clerk maintains the documentation of compliance with th is in accordance with the Retention Schedule.