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Page 1 of 5 Administrative Policy # 2017- 11 Records Management Policy
Town of Digby
Administrative Policy # 2017-11
Records Management Policy
1. Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to establish a Records Management Policy for the Town of Digby and as
outlined in Section 34 of the Municipal Government Act, to provide guidance with respect to the
disposal of the Town of Digby municipal documents to ensure:
Municipal documents/records are, as a minimum, retained for the length of time as outlined in
the AMA Records Management Manual;
Limited space and/or dollar resources are not unnecessarily utilized for archiving historical
records; and
That records are managed in a way that supports the efficient and effective functioning of the
Town of Digby.
2. Scope:
This Policy covers all records created and received by the Town of Digby. Its provisions extend to all
staff conducting business on behalf of the Town.
3. Definitions:
3.1. Council - means the council of the Town of Digby.
3.2. Designated Officer - means the person designated and authorized by the Chief
Administrative Officer of the Town of Digby to act on behalf of the Town of Digby to manage
and maintain the Records Management System. For the Town of Digby the Designated Officer
is the Executive Assistant.
3.3. Manual - means the AMA Records Management Manual, second edition, as amended from
time to time.
3.4. Record - includes books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers, papers
and any other thing on which information is recorded or stored by graphic, electronic,
mechanical or other means, but does not include a computer program or any other mechanism
that produces records.
Page 2 of 5 Administrative Policy # 2017- 11 Records Management Policy
3.5. Records Management System - means an electronic or paper-based system used by the Town
of Digby to manage the records of the Town of Digby from record creation through to records
disposal.
4. Policy Statement:
4.1. Records Management System Established
The Records Management System of the Town of Digby is established and authorized from the
effective date of this Policy.
4.2. Compliance with Records Management System
All records in the custody and control of the employees of the Town of Digby are the property of
the Town of Digby. All records of the Town of Digby must comply with the Records Management
System and this policy. All employees and management of the Town of Digby must comply with
this policy.
4.3. Designated Officer
The Designated Officer, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Records
Management System.
4.4. Adoption of the Manual
The Designated Officer is authorized to adopt and maintain the Manual as part of the Records
Management System. Records of the Town of Digby must be created, accessed, maintained and
disposed of only as provided by the Manual. The Manual includes a Records Retention Schedule
that prescribes the period of time that records are kept to meet the operational, legal, regulatory,
financial or other requirements of the Town of Digby. The Records Retention Schedule also
provides instructions as to the manner and time of the disposition of the record.
4.5. Integrity and Authenticity Maintained
The Records Management System must maintain the integrity and authenticity of records made
or kept in the usual and ordinary course of business.
4.6. Authorization to Amend Manual
The Designated Officer is authorized to amend the Manual.
4.7. Disposal by Designated Officer
When the Designated Officer determines that the retention period for a given record described
in the Records Retention Schedule has ended, the Designated Officer may allow the record to be
destroyed or otherwise disposed of in accordance with the instructions outlined in the Records
Retention Schedule and in consultation with stakeholders within the organization as detailed
below:
4.7.1. Annually, the Town will dispose of records no longer required to be maintained by policy
and/or law. Disposal will be carried out by way of shredding for paper documents and
effective deletion/destruction of electronic records;
Page 3 of 5 Administrative Policy # 2017- 11 Records Management Policy
4.7.2. The following documents shall not be disposed/destroyed:
4.7.2.1.
Minutes of Council, Committee of Council, Council Advisory Committees, or any
committee/commission appointed by Council;
4.7.2.2.
Town By-laws and policies; and
4.7.2.3.
Assessment rolls
4.7.2.4.
Deeds, mortgages, or other documents or records relating to the title of real
property;
4.7.2.5.
Court records;
4.7.2.6.
Records required to be kept by any statute;
4.7.2.7.
Plans, surveying records, charts and maps;
4.7.2.8.
Documents of historical significance.
4.7.3. The destruction actions must always be authorized See Appendix A, allowing for staff to
intercede if specific issues such as a government investigation, audit, freedom of
information access request, litigation or legal claim require that destruction must be halted;
4.7.4. Records pertaining to any actual or pending government investigation, audit, freedom of
information access request, litigation or legal claim should not be destroyed. There should
be processes to impose a "legal hold" when specific requirements arise;
4.7.5. Records destruction should be undertaken in a manner that preserves the confidentiality of
records, including the privacy of information about individuals;
4.7.6. All copies of records that are authorized for destruction, including security, preservation and
backup copies, should be destroyed as soon as reasonably possible; and
4.7.7. Records will be maintained electronically to document the destruction actions.
4.7.8. Records that are required by an enactment to be kept, and all minutes, by-laws, policies and
resolution of Council shall not be destroyed.
4.8. Policy Review
The policy will be reviewed every four years from effective/amended date.
Page 4 of 5 Administrative Policy # 2017- 11 Records Management Policy
Clerk's Annotation for Official Policy Book
Date of Notice: September 18, 2017
Date of adoption:
October 2, 2017
Policy effective date:
October 2, 2017
I certify that this Records Management Policy was adopted by Council as indicated above.
October 3, 2017
Clerk
Date
Page 5 of 5 Administrative Policy # 2017- 11 Records Management Policy
Town of Digby
Records Disposal Authorization
Appendix A
Town of Digby
Contact Executive Assistant Leslie Brinton
147 First Avenue
Contact Phone 902-245-4769
Digby NS
B0V 1A0
Records Description
Classification Number
Description of Records
The record described above are eligible for disposal, in accordance with the Records Management
Policy, by:
Destruction.
Transfer to Town-maintained archival facility
Other (Please specify): _________________________________________
I, ____________________ authorize the disposal of the records listed above as scheduled.
(Designated Officer)
___________________________________
_____________________________________
Date
Designated Officer