REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on a Resolution Adopting the Revised Police Department Records Retention Schedule and Partially Rescinding Resolution 12-7965
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The current Records Retention Schedule ("Schedule") was adopted by the City Council on August 28, 2012, under Resolution 12-7965. The Schedule was divided into City-wide and department-specific schedules that defined the requirements for categorization of records and the respective retention periods for those categories. The Schedule is administered by the City Clerk's Office and ensures the protection and efficient administration of the official records for the City of Santa Clara. This program assures the accessibility of information to the public, protects the City's vital records, and provides a methodology for the periodic disposal of obsolete records. The Schedule must be compliant with various state laws, in alignment with industry best practices, cost effective, structured to appropriately preserve vital and historical City records, and be "user-friendly" for City staff.
The Records Retention Schedule provides a description of the type of records each department maintains, indicates which department is the office of record for files retained, and states the length of time the records will be held, any statutory guidelines related to maintaining records, and the final disposition of the records, if any.
The Schedule was last updated and adopted in August 2012. Since that time, technology and legislative changes have not been incorporated into the Schedule. Legislative guidelines continue to be followed, and the Schedule requires updates to reflect current practice.
In March 2025, the City retained the services of Kaizen Info Source to update the Schedule, starting with the Police Department. Subsequent updates to the Schedule for specific departments and City-wide records categori...
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