RECORDS MANAGEMENT

GFOA Conference September 19, 2014Atlantic City, NJ

Heidi R Brunt, CMR, RMC/CMCTownship Clerk- Middletown Township

Finance Officer’s Duties and Responsibilities for Records Management

◦ Filing systems- books, file cabinets (fire resistant), general filing (day to day records.)

◦ Retrieving -records for Audits, OPRA, Court

◦ Imaging- saving time, storage room, and increased retrieval and destruction.

◦ Archiving- knowing the location of your records and boxing records that need to be saved required by law.

◦ Knowing - what the Clerk keeps on file so you don’t duplicate files in archives.

◦ Destruction- managing the destruction of the records you carefully filed and archived.

◦ Microfilming- permanent files

Filing

Unlike most departments in a municipality, the Finance Office has various documents with different retention periods and some have a greater need for retrieval.

The best way to file, if at all possible, is to include the destruction date on the file box or document and keep a spreadsheet of the file location and destruction date.

Consider using a Records Management System to assist with tracking your records.

Retrieving Records

Under NJSA 47:1A-1 et seq. which is the Open Public Records Act some records in the finance department must be available for immediate release.

Imaging purchase orders and their invoices will allow for some of the larger records requests to be obtained in a timely manner without disruption to your office.

Imaging can be worked right into your daily work flow like filing is now. If you are interested in an imaging program I would be more than happy to share my experience and program with you.

Retrieving records cont.

Not only can OPRA cost you time and money, it can also catch you not knowing where your records are located in storage.

Just as much as you will need to retrieve your records in a timely manner you should be destroying records in that same timely manner.

There is also your Annual Audit which can be time consuming. The retrieval of documents is imperative to your Comments and Recommendations portion. By having your records imaged, you can locate records without even opening a file drawer or a box in archives.

Archiving Records

If you do not have the means or resources to image your records it is vitally important you keep track on a spreadsheet, handwritten, or in a computer application.

You are required to make sure destruction of records is carried out properly and legally.

Also, the records which must be maintained for a significant amount of time should be stored in an environmentally safe location and in a location you can retrieve the records in a timely manner.

Basement Storage

Destruction

The State of New Jersey now only accepts filing for destruction of records online, think of it this way, if you electronically request destruction and receive approval, that approval gives you the ability to let the records custodian know that records were destroyed!

A copy of the destruction approval can be given to the records requester in necessary.

Please destroy the records you don’t legally have to maintain. It really does save you time, headaches, and money.

Retention Schedules

As most of you already know the State issues retention schedules that can be found online by using ARTEMIS the State system to manage records and manage disposition of records. http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/rms/artemis.shtml You may want to check with your Records Custodian to see if you are already registered.

The State Records Manual which will literally tell you how to box up records systematically as required by N.J.A.C. 15:3-1 et.seq. 3-2 et seq. and 3-6 et seq can be found at http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/rms/includes/RMSManual.html#RRAD

Records Retention Schedule

The Finance Department on a local level will use the :

◦MUNICIPAL AGENCIES GENERAL RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE.

◦This will show what your responsibilities are as far as keeping your records and then the disposition of the records in your possession.

MUNICIPAL AGENCIES GENERAL RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE

Questions ??

Heidi R Brunt, RMC/CMCTownship Clerk

Middletown Township, NJ 732-615-2016

hbrunt@middletownnj.org

Links for Records Management:http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/rms/index.shtmlOPRA Law and Government Records Councilhttp://www.state.nj.us/grc/laws/act/