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MUNICIPALITY OF THE COUNTY OF ANNAPOLIS
POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION MANUAL
AM - 1.5.4
Section
MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION
Subject
Records Management Policy
APPROVED 2013/09/17; Amended Dec 2017
Page 1 of 3
1.0 Purpose
Records management is an integral component to a municipality's operation and has become a
necessity for municipalities due to changes in legislation. The Association of Municipal
Administrators of Nova Scotia has developed a Records Management Manual which combines a
standard classification system and records retention and disposal schedule for municipal records. The
Manual establishes levels of responsibility to reduce duplication and to designate accountability for records.
2.0 Authority
Subsection 34 (1) of the Municipal Government Act, as amended.
3.0 Interpretation
In this policy:
3.1 "Council" means the council of the Municipality of the County of Annapolis;
3.2 "County" means the Municipality of the County of Annapolis;
3.3 "Designated Officer" means the person designated and authorized by the Chief
Administrative Officer of the County of Annapolis to act on behalf of the Municipality of
the County of Annapolis to manage and maintain the Records Management System;
3.4 "Manual" means the AMA Records Management Manual, third edition, as amended from
time to time;
3.5 "Municipality" means the Municipality of the County of Annapolis;
3.6 "Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR)" means the office that has primary
responsibility for a category of records or holds the master / official file copy of any record
or series of records. The OPR maintains the official master copy of the records in order to
satisfy operational, financial, legal, audit and other requirements. This includes signing off
on the destruction of records designated as being under his / her care and control.
3.7 "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;
3.8 "Records Management System" means an electronic or paper-based system used by the
County to manage the records of the Municipality of the County of Annapolis from record
creation through to records disposal;
4.0 Compliance with Records Management System
4.1 The Records Management System currently used by the County is authorized.
5.0 Authorization of Records Management System
5.1 All records in the custody and control of the employees of the County are the property of
the Municipality of the County of Annapolis. All records of the County of Annapolis must
comply with the Records Management System and this policy. All employees and
management of the Municipality must comply with this policy.
MUNICIPALITY OF THE COUNTY OF ANNAPOLIS
POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION MANUAL
AM - 1.5.4
Section
MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION
Subject
Records Management Policy
APPROVED 2013/09/17; Amended Dec 2017
Page 2 of 3
6.0 Designated Officer
6.1 The Designated Officer is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Records
Management System.
7.0 Adoption of the Manual
7.1 The Designated Officer is authorized to adopt and maintain the Manual as part of the Records
Management System. Records of the Municipality 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 Municipality. The Records Retention
Schedule also provides instructions as to the manner and time of the disposition of a record.
8.0 Integrity and Authenticity Maintained
8.1 The Records Management System must maintain the integrity and authenticity of records
made or kept in the usual and ordinary course of business.
9.0 Levels of Responsibility - Office of Primary Responsibility
9.1 The Records Management System identifies levels of responsibility for all information
holdings. There are two levels:
- Level 1: Service Group / Department Office of Primary Responsibility
- Level 2: Other Offices
9.2 The Office of Primary Responsibility ensures the authenticity and integrity of the master
records (record designated as official copy). The Office of Primary Responsibility also
reduces retention of duplicate records held in "other offices."
9.3 Each service group shall have a designated person responsible for the records within their
service group / department (designated by Directors or Managers).
10.0 Authorization to Amend Manual
10.1 The Designated Officer is authorized to amend the Manual.
11.0 Disposal by Designated Officer
11.1 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:
(1) The destruction actions must always be authorized, 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. A sample records destruction
approval form is included in Appendix B - Forms and Samples to the Manual;
(2) 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;
MUNICIPALITY OF THE COUNTY OF ANNAPOLIS
POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION MANUAL
AM - 1.5.4
Section
MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION
Subject
Records Management Policy
APPROVED 2013/09/17; Amended Dec 2017
Page 3 of 3
(3) Records destruction should be undertaken in a manner that preserves the confidentiality of
records, including the privacy of information about individuals;
(4) All copies of records that are authorized for destruction, including security, preservation and
backup copies, should be destroyed as soon as reasonably possible; and
(5) Records should be maintained to document the destruction actions. Certificates of destruction
are generally provided by service agencies, and these are retained permanently, along with
information about the records series title, date range and date of destruction.
11.2 Records that are required by any enactment to be kept, and all minutes, bylaws, policies and
resolutions of Council shall not be destroyed.
APPROVED 2013/09/17
Amended Dec 2017 - in Sub-section 3.4 replaced "second edition" with "third edition"
Municipal Clerk's Annotation for Official Policy Book
I certify that this policy was adopted by Municipal Council as indicated below:
Seven (7) Day Notice ............................................................................. December 12, 2017
Council Approval ................................................................................. December 19, 2017
Carolyn Young December 19, 2017
Municipal Clerk
Date
At Annapolis Royal Nova Scotia