Be mindful of records containing confidential information. It's imperative that the City protects certain personal information from disclosure. If you encounter records containing personal information, contact your supervisor.
If you are responsible for confidential records or records containing sensitive content, create a plan ensuring these records remain protected. Simple steps like making sure cabinets are locked and assigning staff who will quickly verify that the records are in their designated space can help assure that these sensitive records are protected.
Remember that any records not frequently accessed are often excellent candidates for secure storage at the Archives & Records Center.
Legal Holds
If your office has records with legal holds, you should have already initiated a preservation plan to ensure the records are not destroyed, altered, or misplaced. If not, contact your bureau’s legal holds representative to determine how to preserve the records; you can find your representative by contacting the City Attorney's Office: https://www.portland.gov/attorney.
When you have records with legal holds, make a list of which drawers/boxes/files the records are in. Assign someone to verify that the records where they are listed as being kept. Large groups of records with legal holds may be transferred to the Records Center. Remember to leave the originals where they would normally be filed. Once the records are released from their legal hold, they revert back to their normal retention policies. If the records are disassociated from their context, they may not be identified for appropriate retention. It is best to maintain a list of responsive records, along with their location. The City Attorney’s Office can provide cover sheets to place in the physical folders to help identify legal hold records.