May 27, 2025
Agenda Item No. 4
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
Leilani I. Brown, City Clerk - 949-644-3005, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Cassandra Hawks, Records Specialist - 949-644-3005,
[email protected]
TITLE:
Resolution No. 2025-25: Approving Amendments to the Records Retention Schedule ABSTRACT:
The City of Newport Beach continues to improve its records management program by completing an annual update of its Records Retention Schedule (RRS) to incorporate new laws and business practices. On July 23, 2024, the City Council approved Resolution No. 2024-49, amending sections of the RRS, authorizing destruction of certain City records, and indicating that major or substantive revisions to the RRS are required to be considered by the City Council for review and approval. Proposed amendments to the RRS are included as exhibits to Resolution No. 2025-25.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and b) Adopt Resolution No. 2025-25, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Amending Certain Sections of the Records Retention Schedule and Authorizing Destruction of Certain Records.
DISCUSSION:
The RRS was originally adopted in August 2003 and provided records descriptions and applied retention periods to City records. Since then, the City Council has approved multiple revisions to the RRS. The purpose of the revisions is to keep the RRS as up to date as possible and to guide staff in the creation, maintenance and destruction of City records. The City’s records retention consultant, Diane Gladwell of Gladwell Governmental Services, Inc., specializes in local government records and conducts an annual review of the City’s RRS to provide recommendations based on new laws and business practices.
In addition, staff from each department periodically reviews their department’s records retention schedules and provides input when required, and the City Clerk’s Office meets with each department on an as-needed basis to review specific records. This collaboration, along with the consultant’s review of the RRS, resulted in a set of recommended changes for the City Council to consider. These changes include, but are not limited to, consolidating retention codes, creating new codes to remain compliant with legal requirements, and removing redundant language. Additionally, the need to maintain paper has been eliminated if the digital version is preserved and meets the requirements established in the RRS.
The City Clerk’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, and Diane Gladwell reviewed the recommended revisions to the RRS and, based on best practices, agree that the changes are acceptable.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A – Resolution No. 2025-25
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Resolution No. 2025-25: Amendments to the Records Retention Schedule May 27, 2025
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