RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MARIA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING REVISIONS TO THE CITYWIDE
RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 34090 et seq. sets forth specific legal requirements relating to the management and retention of certain municipal records; and
WHEREAS, on July 17, 2001, the City Council approved a Document Management Program which included a Citywide Records Retention Schedule; and
WHEREAS, the Records Retention Schedule was last updated on January 18, 2022, and additional revisions are now needed.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Santa Maria, California, as follows:
1) Approve those certain revisions to the Citywide Records Retention Schedule attached as Exhibit A, and on file in the office of the Records/City Clerk Division; and
2) The Chief Deputy City Clerk is hereby authorized to make minor changes herein to address clerical errors, so long as substantial conformance of the intent of this document is maintained. In doing so, the Chief Deputy City Clerk shall consult with the City Manager and City Attorney concerning any changes deemed necessary.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Santa Maria held this 17th day of September 2024.
ATTEST:
Chief Deputy City Clerk
EXHIBIT A – Retention Schedule Updates
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_______________________________
City Attorney
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
_______________________________
Department Director
_______________________________
Interim City Manager
EXHIBIT A
RETENTION SCHEDULE UPDATES
September 17, 2024
New language is shown in red, while deletions are shown with strikeouts.
LEGEND
RECORDS RETENTION
A = Active E = Election
AD = Adoption L = Life
AN = As needed O = Obsolete
AU = Audit P = Permanent
C = Current Year S = Superseded
CL = Closed T = Termination or Term of Office
CO = Completion
2 = No. of years (2 used for example only)
Note: Audit means 7/1, one complete year following the last day of the fiscal year. Retention Periods listed need to be strictly adhered to with the occasio nal exception of records that need to be retained longer than listed for legal, personnel, and administrative and/or operational purposes.
CITATIONS – CALIFORNIA CODES
B&P = Business & Professions Code
CAC = California Administrative Code
CCP = Code of Civil Procedure
EC = Elections Code
EVC = Evidence Code
FC = Financial Code
GC = Government Code
H & S = Health and Safety Code
LC = Labor Code
PC = Penal Code
VC = Vehicle Code
WIC = Welfare and Institutions Code
CITATIONS – OTHER SOURCES
CC = California Constitution
CCR = Code of California Regulations
CEQA = California Environmental Quality Act
CFR = Code of Federal Regulations
FMLA = Family and Medical Leave Act, 1993
HUD = Housing and Urban Development
OMB = Federal Office of Management and Budget
OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Agency
POST = Police Officers Standards Training
UFC = Uniform Fire Code
USC = United States Code
EXHIBIT A
ALL DEPARTMENTS
Record Series Title Retention Citation Description
Credit Card Statements and
Reconciliation Logs and
Supporting Receipts, Petty
Cash, Reimbursement
Receipts
C+1 GC 34090 Copies retained for department purposes
Discipline Records Safety
Employees (Police)
Sustained Internally Initiated
Complaint of misconduct
Sustained Civilian’s Complaint
involving misconduct
CL+4
CL+15
GC 12946
PC 832.5, PC
13510.8(b)
Discipline records, including copies of sustained
personnel complaints.
Employee Benefit Usage
Reports
AN GC 34090 Copies from Administrative Services. Retain as necessary for department purposes
Equipment Records L GC 34090 Equipment over $100 includes listing of equipment assignments, operating manuals &
records, warranties and maintenance records
Grants
CL+36 GC 8546.7 Records and supporting documentation
pertaining to the performance of Proposition 1,
Proposition 50, Proposition 84, and other
State-funded grant agreements; also refer to
grant application close-out procedures.
Interdepartmental Billing AN GC 34090 Copies of interdepartmental billings for services provided by one department to
another department. Originals on file in
Administrative Services.
Internal Use Forms AN GC 34090 Department-use only forms for staff such as overtime, standby, time-off, call-back reports,
staff on duty, shift and vacation bid forms,
etc.
Insurance Certificates
Contracts &
Agreements
Unidentifiable
T+5
C+2
GC 34090 Certificates required for contracts or
agreements with outside entities, vendors and
consultants to be retained 5 years after
termination of the contract/agreement the
same as the file.
Certificates that cannot be linked to any City
contract or agreement to be retained for 2
years after expiration date.
Investigations
Internal Employees or
external initiated
Safety & Non-Safety
CL+5 PC 832.5
GC 12946
PC 801.5,
803(c),
VC 2547
Initiated by citizen complaints or internally
initiated investigations, includes complaint,
reports, findings, audio recordings (tapes,
CDs, digital formats).
EXHIBIT A
All Departments continued
Record Series Title Retention Citation Description
Investigations (Safety
Employees: Police)
Internally Initiated
Complaint of
misconduct
Civilian’s Complaint
involving misconduct
(Not Sustained)
Civilian’s Complaint
involving misconduct
(Sustained)
CL+4
CL+5
CL+15
GC 12946
PC 832.5
PC 832.5
Investigation files arising out of civilian
complaints or internally generated complaints.
Invoices AN GC 34090,
GC 34090.7
Copies of invoices and supporting
documentation including bills of lading,
shipping documents, packing slips, and
correspondence, excludes grant purchases
which may require a longer retention period.
Outside Billing Rate
Reports
AN GC 34090 Employee outside billing rate reports from
Administrative Services. Retain as necessary
for department purposes
Recruitment Files
CL+3 GC 12946
29 CFR
1607.4; 29
CFR 1627.3
Recruitments files which may include
applications, resumes, alternate lists/logs,
indices; ethnicity disclosures; examination
materials; examination answer sheets, job
bulletins; eligibility; electronic database.
Departments retain their recruitment files.
Personnel Files
Non-Safety Employees
T+3 29 CFR 516.6
et seq and
1627.3, 29
USC 516.5,
and LC
1198.5(c)(1)
Official personnel file kept in Human
Resources and/or Departmental copies of
employee files and supervisor files kept by
individual departments which may include
attendance records, evaluations, drafts,
worksheets, postings, release authorizations,
certifications, reassignments, outside
employment, official commendations,
disciplinary actions, terminations, training
attendance records, Oaths of Office, pre-
employment medical, fingerprints,
identification cards
EXHIBIT A
All Departments continued
Record Series Title Retention Citation Description
Personnel Files
Safety Employees: Police
T+4 29 CFR
1627.3,
1602.14, 30 &
32, 516.6 et.
Seq, EVC
145(b)(1), PC
832.5, LC
1174, LC
1198.5(c)(1),
GV 12946,
and 11 CCR
1953
Official personnel file kept in Human
Resources and/or Departmental copies of
employee files and supervisor files kept by
individual departments which may include
attendance records, evaluations, drafts,
worksheets, postings, release authorizations,
certifications, reassignments, outside
employment, official commendations,
terminations, training and attendance records,
Oaths of Office, pre-employment medical,
fingerprints, identification cards
Personnel Files
Safety Employees
T+3 29 CFR
1627.3,
1602.14, 30 &
32, 516.6 et.
Seq, EVC
1045(b)(1),
PC 832.5, LC
1174, and LC
1198.5(c)(1)
Official personnel file kept in Human
Resources and/or Departmental copies of
employee files and supervisor files kept by
individual departments which may include
attendance records, evaluations, drafts,
worksheets, postings, release authorizations,
certifications, reassignments, outside
employment, official commendations,
disciplinary actions (Police – CL+5),
terminations, training and attendance records,
Oaths of Office, pre-employment medical,
fingerprints, identification cards
Public Records Requests CL+2 GC 34090
Public Service
Announcements (PSAs)
AN GC 34090 Short videos that educate and inform about
municipal services.
Publications AN
GC 34090 Professional publications and other
publications used for reference. Retain as
necessary for department purposes
Purchase Orders AN GC 34090 Department copies. Originals on file in Administrative Services Department
Reports/Studies AN GC 34090 Copies of reports/studies from other departments for review and comment or
information only. Retain as necessary for
department purposes
Social Media Postings 2 years GC 34090 All content (including text, images, audio, and video) posted to a social media website such
as Facebook and Twitter.
EXHIBIT A
POLICE
Record Series Title Retention Citation Description
ADMINISTRATION
Asset Forfeiture &
Expenditure Reporting
CL+5 GC 34090
Booking Fee Collection
Documentation
C+2 Credit Bureau data, State Intercept data
Business License C+2 GC 34090 Background files for business license applications
Claim Files – Duplicate
File of what is maintained
by City Attorney
CL+2 GC 34090 Claim copy, correspondence, photographs,
supporting documents relative to involving
the Police Department filed by citizens
Civil Subpoena Witness Fee
Billings
CL+2 GC 34090
Department Manual –
OPS Directives
S Changes to manual are recorded in the
General Orders (permanent)
Fixed Asset Inventory C+2 GC 34090 Copies
General Orders P
Grant Documentation CL+5 Expenditures, purchases orders, invoices, revenue. Exception: Retention period as
required by Grant Agency.
Grant Documentation –
Unsuccessful
CL+2 GC 34090 Application, denial documentation.
Grievance Files CL+2 GC 34090 Grievance filed by employees, supporting documentation
Holding Cell – Inspection
Files
CL+6 Inspections by various agencies
Investigations
Background – Not Hired
CL+3
CL+4
GC 12946
Pre-employment background checks
Background – Hired T+5
T+4
GC 12946 Pre-employment background checks
Monthly Activity Reports C+5
Licenses
Bingo
Entertainment
C+2
C+5
GC 34090
Investigation/Administrative Review
Police investigations for Entertainment
Licenses applications
Parades and Special
Events File
CL+2 GC 34090 Reports, memos, correspondence, scripts,
supplier information, assignments,
deployments, supporting documentation
Permits
Alcoholic Beverage
Control License
L+2
GC 34090
Copies of applications, memos related to
Police Department position
Photographs S+2 GC 34090 Will be maintained by electronic system