Choosing the right retention schedule is a necessary step in managing your records. The retention schedule tells you how long the records must be legally maintained, which in turn tells you if and when they should be destroyed. Records destroyed early puts the City at legal risk and may mean that records needed for City operations are not available. Records maintained beyond the time when they should be destroyed also places the City at legal risk and means the City is paying to maintain something beyond its lifecycle.
All City records are covered by a Records Retention Schedule, which takes into account how long the record needs to be kept, the official owner (record copy), and generally indicates if there are any limits on access. A record’s ultimate disposition is either destruction at some point or permanent preservation. The retention period takes into account a record’s administrative, fiscal, legal, historical, and research value.
All City employees have the responsibility to preserve and maintain the records related to their work activities according to the applicable retention schedule. The retention schedules can be found following the link below. If you need any assistance figuring out the right retention schedule, please contact Archives & Records Management.
Records Retention Schedules