CORPORATE POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Transcription

1 CORPORATE POLICY AND PROCEDURE POLICY CATEGORY AUTHORITY RELATED POLICIES APPROVED BY EFFECTIVE DATE REVISION DATE Municipal Records Management Administration Municipal Act, 2001 (the Act),as amended Personal Information Protection & Electronic Documents Access to Records Policy Council Adoption of Policy As Required POLICY STATEMENT The Municipality of Meaford is committed to retaining and preserving the records of the Municipality and its local boards in a secure and accessible manner, recognizing that records are valuable corporate assets needed to support effective decision making, to meet operational requirements and to protect legal, fiscal, historical and other interests of the Municipality. The Municipality of Meaford shall institute a corporate records management policy, following the requirements of the Municipal Act, 2001, the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and the principles of The Ontario Municipal Records Management System (TOMRMS) for the management of records within the Municipality. The Municipality of Meaford Records Management Policy Statement and Corporate Records Management Program shall apply to all records in the custody and control of Council and its committees, Municipal administration and local boards of the Municipality. Local Boards, for the purposes of this policy, shall be as defined in the Act, and shall include Museum Board, Police Services Board, Committee of Adjustment, or any other board, commission, committee, body or local authority established or exercising any power under any Act with respect to the affairs or purposes of one or more municipalities, excluding a school board and a conservation authority. PURPOSE The purpose of the Corporate Records Management Program shall be: 1. To ensure that records, regardless of their physical medium, are organized, secure, retrievable, retained under appropriate environmental conditions and managed efficiently throughout the active, semi-active and inactive states of their life cycle. 1 MUNICIPALITY OF MEAFORD CORPORATE POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL

2 2. To provide a framework and guidelines for the program to manage the creation, security, use, receipt, access, maintenance, retention and disposition of records regardless of their physical medium, and to establish and define accountability, responsibility and roles for the program. Final disposition of records shall be pursuant to the provisions of the Municipality of Meaford Records Retention Schedule and the Municipality s policy. 3. To ensure that all records in the custody and control of the Municipality and its local boards, regardless of their physical medium, are the property of the Municipality and are subject to its control, contingent on existing legislation and by-laws. Where records are in the possession of an outside agency, such records will be under the Municipality s control when: a) the record is specified in a contract as being under the control of the Municipality b) the content of the record relates to the Municipality s mandate and functions c) the Municipality has the authority to regulate the records use and disposition d) the outside agency is a consultant and the record was created for the public body; or e) the contract permits the Municipality to inspect, review, or copy the records produced, received or acquired. 4. To ensure that records, regardless of their physical medium, are managed in compliance with the provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Municipality of Meaford Policy. DEFINITIONS 1. Records Management: is the application of systematic control to recorded information, which is required in the operation of the municipal offices. The services provided through the records management program include: a) correspondence management b) manuals and directives management c) forms management d) reports management e) files management f) records retention scheduling g) vital records programming h) archival programming i) inactive records storage j) micrographics programming k) electronic records including s 2. Corporate Record: A corporate record is a collection of valuable information, however recorded. A record could be: in printed form, on film, recorded by electronic means or otherwise. Regardless of its format, a corporate record documents an aspect of the business of the corporation. A non-exhaustive list of examples of corporate records includes: a) memoranda b) corporate polices and by-laws c) corporate contracts or agreements d) video tapes of meetings e) electronic films or vignettes f) record s 2 MUNICIPALITY OF MEAFORD CORPORATE POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL

3 g) corporate reports h) personnel records i) letters received by representatives of the Corporation j) letters sent by representatives of the Corporation; etc. 3. Non-Records: The following are examples of documents that may be in the possession of a representative of the Corporation, but which do not constitute Corporate Records: a) advertisements or flyers prepared by outside agencies for seminars, office supplies, etc. b) a personal note of thanks to a staff member c) a draft document (paper or electronic) or a series of draft documents of things that ultimately, when finalized, become corporate records, unless same must be retained to define or defend a position taken d) photocopied newspaper or magazine articles e) working papers and notes to oneself compiled when researching for the creation of a corporate record f) transitory records 4. Corporation: the Corporation is the Corporation of the Municipality of Meaford. All records, regardless of physical form or characteristics are the property of the Municipality of Meaford and subject to its control. 5. Department Head: the officer who by administrative policy is in charge of an office of The Municipality of Meaford that creates or receives records. 6. Essential Record: any record of The Municipality of Meaford necessary to the resumption or continuation of its operations in an emergency or disaster, to the re-creation of its legal and financial status, or to the protection and fulfillment of obligations to the people of The Municipality of Meaford. 7. Permanent Record: any record of The Municipality of Meaford for which the retention period on a records retention schedule is given as permanent. 8. Records Retention Schedule: a document prepared by or under the authority of the Records Manager and Clerk, and approved by Council and the municipal auditors, listing the records maintained by The Municipality of Meaford, their retention periods, and other records disposition information that the records management program may require. POLICY REQUIREMENTS The Municipality of Meaford and its local boards shall: 1. Provide record keeping systems and services that efficiently maintain and retrieve information. 2. Provide efficient and prompt disposal of records. 3. Provide efficient development and use of micrographic and optical systems where cost effective applications exist. 4. Provide records management input into the planning and development of I.T. systems. 5. Standardize the type of equipment and supplies utilized in the maintaining of records within the municipality. 6. Prevent the creation of unnecessary records, including forms, directives and reports. 7. Provide for the storage and retrieval of inactive records. 8. Provide specific protection to vital and archival records. 3 MUNICIPALITY OF MEAFORD CORPORATE POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL

4 9. Provide for ongoing training of staff involved in delivering and using the program. 10. Provide for transfer of those records of historical value to the County Archives, Grey Roots Museum and Archives. 11. Ensure that the records program shall be subject to current by-laws and legislation. RESPONSIBILITIES The Clerk s Office shall be responsible for the administration of the Corporate Records Management Program and for the establishment and maintenance of a program manual which shall include the records management procedures and shall assign duties for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the program. The Deputy Clerk shall serve as Records Manager for the Municipality of Meaford. Employees are expected to follow this policy and best records management practices. DUTIES OF THE RECORDS MANAGER In addition to other duties assigned in this policy, the Records Manager shall: 1. administer the records management program and provide assistance to department heads in its implementation; 2. plan, formulate and prescribe records disposition policies, systems, standards and procedures; 3. in co-operation with department heads identify essential records and establish a disaster plan for each municipal office and department to ensure maximum availability of the records in order to re-establish operations quickly and with minimum disruption and expense; 4. develop procedures to ensure the permanent preservation of the historically valuable records of the municipality; 5. establish standards for filing and storage equipment and for recordkeeping supplies; 6. study the feasibility of, and if appropriate, establish a uniform filing system and a forms design and control system for The Municipality of Meaford; 7. monitor records retention schedules and administrative rules; 8. disseminate to Council and Department Heads information concerning the retention schedule; 9. ensure that the maintenance, preservation, micro filming, destruction or other disposition of the records of The Municipality of Meaford are carried out in accordance with the policies and procedures of the records management program; 10. maintain records on the volume of records destroyed under approved records control schedules or through records destruction authorization requests, the volume of records microfilmed or stored electronically, and the estimated cost and space savings as the result of such disposal or disposition; 11. bring to the attention of the Clerk and Chief Administrative Officer non-compliance by department heads or other municipal personnel with the policies and procedures of the records management program. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DEPARTMENT HEADS In addition to other duties assigned in this policy, Department Heads shall: 4 MUNICIPALITY OF MEAFORD CORPORATE POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL

5 1. co-operate with the Records Manager in carrying out the policies and procedures established in The Municipality of Meaford for the efficient and economical management of records and in carrying out the requirements of this ordinance; 2. adequately document the transaction of government business and the services, programs and duties for which the department head and his or her staff are responsible; and 3. maintain the records in his or her care and carry out their preservation, microfiliming, destruction or other disposition only in accordance with the policies and procedures of the records management program of The Municipality of Meaford and the requirements of this ordinance. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE; DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS UNDER SCHEDULE 1. A records retention schedule adopted by Council shall be implemented by Department Heads according to the procedures of the records management plan. 2. A record whose retention period has expired on a records retention schedule shall be destroyed unless an open records request is pending on the record, the subject matter of the record is pertinent to a pending law suit, or the department head requests in writing to the Records Manager that the record be retained for an additional period. 5 MUNICIPALITY OF MEAFORD CORPORATE POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL