Records Management and Destruction Policy (Policy 5.020) — full text

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot 9fe42e3bf3dd · verified 2026-06-05 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

Town of Berwick - Records Management and Destruction Policy 1 Records Management and Destruction Policy Department: Administration Policy No: 5.020 Adopted: xxxxxxxxx x, 2015 1. Background In section 34 of the Municipal Government Act, there is a provision for municipalities to adopt a policy regarding the management and destruction of records. As municipalities increase in size and the complexity of services they provide increases, a proper records management system becomes an integral part of the municipal operation. Quite simply, a municipality's ability to effectively conduct business may be compromised without: a systematic approach to the cataloguing, filing and retrieval of files; the protection of files from premature destruction; the safe and secure storage of files; and a system for the destruction of files once their value ceases. 2. Policy Objective The objective of the Records Management and Destruction policy is to establish effective management control and administration over the receipt, creation, use, maintenance, storage and ultimate disposal of all information, regardless of format, and to do so in a flexible manner that is user-friendly and tailored to meet user needs. This policy supports compliance with the Municipal Government Act. 3. Policy Statements 1. It is the policy of the Town of Berwick to manage information resources as a valuable asset for the following purposes: a. supporting effective decision making; b. meeting operational requirements; c. ensuring the widest possible use of information resources within the town; d. protecting the legal, financial, and other interests of the town, and the public; and e. restricting access according to the Nova Scotia Municipal Government Act, Part XX Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy, and other relevant policies and legislation. 2. It is the policy of the Town of Berwick to identify and preserve information resources that serve to reconstruct the evolution of policy and program decisions or that have archival value. It is also the policy of the town to ensure that such information is organized in a manner to be readily available for the study of decision making in the town and for other research purposes which help explain the historical role of the town. 3. It is the policy of the town to ensure that records management functions are incorporated into existing and future information technology applications. 4. To facilitate an efficient records management and retrieval system, it is the policy of the town to eliminate the unnecessary collection of information by maintaining only records which are pertinent to Town of Berwick - Records Management and Destruction Policy 2 the operational requirements of the town, coordinating information collection to avoid duplication, and to ensure that the collection of personal information is in accordance with the Nova Scotia Municipal Government Act, Part XX, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy. 5. It is the policy of the town to ensure that all information resources, regardless of format, are subject to timely public access according to the provisions and limitations of the Nova Scotia Municipal Government Act, Part XX, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy. 4. Destruction of Records 1. Deeds, mortgages, or any other legal documents relating to real property or title of real property shall not be destroyed. 2. Any court records in the possession of the town shall not be destroyed. 3. Any record required to be kept by Council by any statute shall not be destroyed. 4. Minutes of Council meetings or minutes of any Committee appointed by Council as well as by-laws, approved policies, or resolutions, shall not be destroyed. 5. Plans and survey records shall not be destroyed. 6. Records of historical value shall not be destroyed. 7. Assessment rolls, Audited Financial Statements, and General Ledger books of accounts shall not be destroyed. 8. Cancelled cheques and accounts payable invoices and vouchers for capital purposes shall not be destroyed. 9. Copies of any cash receipts including cash receipt journals shall be retained for ten (10) years. 10. Cancelled coupons, redeemable bonds or debenture documentation shall be retained for ten (10) years. 11. Payroll records of any kind shall be retained for seven (7) years plus the current year. 12. Cancelled cheques and accounts payable invoices and vouchers for general operations shall be retained for seven (7) years plus the current year. 13. Sub-ledgers for sewer, taxes, accounts payable, cash disbursement reports, journal entries and support documentation shall be kept for seven (7) years plus the current year. 14. Any document or documents requiring Canadian Revenue Agency approval or other Governmental approval shall not be destroyed unless the required written approvals have been received. Revision Dates: