Records Retention and Destruction Schedule
The following Records Retention and Destruction Schedules for the Office of the Clerk of the Board’s agencies are provided pursuant to Chapter 8 of the San Francisco Administrative Code §8.3, which requires each department head to develop a written policy which sets forth a written schedule for the systematic retention and destruction of the department's records. This policy is current and supersedes all previous records retention and destruction policies issued by the Office of the Clerk of the Board, and covers all records and documents, regardless of physical form or characteristics, which have been made or received by the Clerk’s Office in connection with the transaction of public business.
RECORDS RETENTION AND DESTRUCTION SCHEDULES
• Office of the Clerk of the Board & Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
• Assessment Appeals Board (AAB)
RECORDS DEFINED
For purposes of record retention and destruction, the term "record" is defined as set forth in Administrative Code §8.1, and includes any paper, book, photograph, film, sound recording, map, drawing or other document, or any copy thereof, as has been made or received by the department in connection with the transaction of public business and may have been retained by the department as 1) evidence of the department's activities, 2) for the information contained in it, or 3) to protect the legal or financial rights of the City and County of San Francisco or of persons directly affected by the activities of the City and County. Documents and other materials that do not constitute "records" under that section, including those described below, may be destroyed when no longer needed, unless otherwise specified.
Documents and other materials (including originals and duplicates) that are not otherwise required to be retained, are not necessary to the functioning or continuity of the Office of the Clerk of the Board, and which have no legal significance may be destroyed when no longer needed. Examples include materials and documents generated for the convenience of the person generating them, draft documents (other than some contracts and legislation) which have been superseded by subsequent versions or rendered moot by the Clerk’s Office action, and duplicate copies of records that are no longer needed. Specific examples include telephone message slips, miscellaneous correspondence that does not require departmental attention or action, notepads, and periodicals or publications that are not of historical significance (Source: Good Government Guide).
RECORDS RETENTION DURATIONS
As per Administrative Code §8.3, current records and storage records less than five years old may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of if their destruction or other disposition within a shorter length of time will not be detrimental to the City and County or defeat any public purpose and if a definitive description of such records and the retention period applicable to them are set forth in a schedule for the systematic retention and destruction of records that is prepared by the department head, approved by the Mayor or the Mayor's designee, or the board or commission concerned, and approved by the City Attorney as to records of legal significance, by the Controller as to records relating to financial matters, by the Retirement Board as to time rolls, time cards, payroll checks and related matters.
The department and agencies may opt to retain records for longer durations as they find relevant and applicable to the course of public business.
RECORDS CLASSIFICATIONS
"Current records" are records which for convenience, ready reference or other reason are retained in office space and equipment of the department involved.
"Storage records" are records which need not be retained in office space and equipment of the department involved, but which must be, or should be, prudently preserved for a time or permanently in the facilities of a records center, as specified in the following section.
"Permanent records" or essential records, are records required by law to be permanently retained. Unless otherwise required by law or regulation, permanent records shall be stored by microfilming the paper records or placing them on an optical imaging storage system, placing the original film or tape in a State-approved storage vault and delivering a copy to the department. The paper records may then be destroyed.
For additional information pertaining to records classifications, please reference Administrative Code §8.4 & §8.9.