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County planner warns small towns to designate data officer as state privacy rules ramp up
Summary
Brock told the council that the Utah state privacy office is asking public entities to designate a chief administrative officer (CAO) for data and complete a form by December; he advised towns to prepare policies and record retention information even if much of it will be non-applicable.
A county planner told the council Sept. 4 that the Utah state privacy office has asked public entities — including small towns — to begin documenting data practices and to designate a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for privacy oversight.
Brock said the requirement includes completing an initial form before December (the state will later provide an online portal) and suggested that many small towns will find portions of the form non‑applicable. He said the state provided policy templates and guidance, and described the record as quarantined to the state privacy office (not broadly public) though the town must retain the documentation.
Brock recommended the council decide who will serve as the town’s CAO and noted the matter will require some staff time to identify what data the town collects and how it is retained. He said state privacy staff urged local governments to prepare — and that regional support organizations could help towns with the submission.
Why it matters: New state privacy reporting and designation requirements create an administrative obligation for towns; naming a CAO and completing the form by December is needed to meet the timeline Brock described.
