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d.�, Irn iI <br />MEMO TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL <br />FROM: CLERK -ADMINISTRATOR <br />DATE: JUNE 18, 1989 ( V <br />SUBJECT: MICROGRAPHIC CONVERSION OF CITY RECORDS <br />As you are aware over the last several months City Staff has been <br />evaluating the advisability, need, and cost for converting City <br />records to micrographics (microfilming). <br />At the present time all City records except those financial <br />records developed on tl,j County Computer System are retained <br />in the City Hall in their original paper form. The retention <br />of twenty-five years worth of records in paper form in several <br />different locations in the building creates several problems and <br />concerns. They are: <br />1. Lack of proper storage space. There is no real <br />need for me to expand upon the fact that there is <br />inadequate storage space in the City Hall. Besides <br />the fact that we have insufficient storage space, <br />the space we do have is not proper for the storage <br />of paper records in that there is inadequate security <br />and no environmental control to prohibit the natural <br />deterioration process. <br />Lack of easy access. Due to the amount of time covered <br />by our records and the vast number of issues they <br />address, easy access of those records not currently <br />considered active or encompassing several years is not <br />readily accomplished. No system of indexing has <br />consistently been maintained over the years except <br />for minutes, ordinances, and resolutions. Thus, Staff <br />is unable to develop a historical analysis of many <br />issues or projects dealt with by the City over the <br />years. This is particularly disadvantageous when Staff <br />is attempting to develop a report relating to the history <br />of a piece of property in response to a current request <br />such as a zoning application. <br />3. Age and condition of records. As has been previously <br />mentioned the City's records cover a period of twenty- <br />five years and are not all retained in an environmentally <br />controlled atmosphere. Also, the type of storage and/or <br />continuous handling of some records has resulted in the <br />deterioration of their condition which in the case of <br />those records requiring permanent retention is unacceptable. <br />An analysis of the above stated facts result in the conclusion that <br />some other form of record retention is necessary to adequately <br />preserve those records required to be permanently retained in their <br />