Title
A resolution to adopt the records retention and disposition schedule endorsed by the state records board for use in retaining and disposing the records of the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging.
Body
Recommended Action: Approve the resolution and adopt the records retention and disposition schedule.
Over many years the Department on Aging has accumulated a considerable volume of records that no longer served any operational need, but it has lacked legal authority to request their destruction. No State retention and disposition schedule existed for the Aging function, and certain records series are specific only to this function. Without legal authority making them eligible to destroy, these records continued to be stored at commercial storage and continued to accumulate in the Courthouse Records Center.
Due to the reduction in State capacity to research and create as needed new county records series over the years, Sedgwick County Records Management, Legal and other staff have had to fill the void. County staff has researched and proposed to the State Archivist creation of new records series and even entire records retention schedules when they were lacking. State staff then has reviewed, obtained comments from other counties, revised and presented to the State Records Board (SRB) for approval. After adoption by the SRB, all counties could use such legal authority to destroy. A recent previous example of such a schedule proposed by County staff and eventually revised and adopted by the State for all counties is one for the Housing function.
In the case of Aging, beginning in January 2012, Records Management, Legal and Aging staff together applied the County Management Model. Records staff researched retention schedules for other states and Federal regulations, and Aging staff described operational needs. Legal counsel offered its perspective on contracts, agreements and regulations. Records Management pulled the information together, proposed a draft retention schedule, and circulated it for comment among the 10 other Kansas Aging agencies. The State Archivist submitted the result of this process to the SRB for consideration in January 2013 at its quarterly meeting.
The State Records Board decided to endorse the proposed Agency on Aging retention schedule as advisory to aging agencies, and it charged the governing bodies of each of the eleven Kansas Area Agencies on Aging with the opportunity to adopt and implement these records disposition schedules, so they may better manage Aging records. The SRB took the action to endorse, rather than adopt,because it determined its statutory authority allowed it to adopt retention schedules only for counties. Nine of the 11 area aging agencies are non-county, not-for-profit agencies, one is a county department (Johnson); and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging is administered by Sedgwick County for three participating counties (Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey) operating under an inter-local agreement. The SRB chose to endorse the proposed schedule, and make it available to all area agencies - regardless of legal basis - to adopt and use.
Before creation of the Courthouse Records Center, the Aging Department stored all inactive records at commercial records storage (Underground Vaults and Storage at Hutchinson). Since the Courthouse Records Center has been available, only the relatively small portion of Aging records listed on the State general retention schedule as having permanent retention value (e.g., annual reports, meeting minutes, plans) has been stored commercially. The lack of a retention schedule specific to Aging client and program records has prevented the bulk of Aging Department records from being destroyed, even when they represented no further administrative, fiscal, legal or archival value. Unneeded records stored commercially continue to incur fees. Unneeded records stored at the Courthouse Records Center have accumulated and reduce space capacity.
By adopting the Aging Agency records schedule endorsed by the SRB, the Board of County Commissioners would allow Records Management the authority to process disposal of records that are decades old and have exceeded their administrative, fiscal and legal values. Records that document the Aging program's plans and historical activities would be retained permanently. A considerable volume of records that contain the personally identifiable, income, financial and personal health information of clients would be destroyed. Approval at this time would allow Records Management to process the first of several disposals that after BoCC approval would reduce off site storage fees and free Courthouse Records Center capacity.
Alternatives: Without legal authority to destroy, Aging specific records would need to be retained, and costs to store and make accessible would grow.
Financial Considerations: N/A
Legal Considerations: The authority for this action is K.S.A. 45-404(c). A simple majority vote is required.
Policy Considerations: The recommended action would allow Records Management the legal authority to manage and dispose Department on Aging records according to existing County Records Management Policy.
Outside Attendees: N/A
Multimedia Presentation: No