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City council approves updated records‑retention policy; sets two‑year rolling retention for email and texts
Summary
After extended debate about public‑records workload and recent increases in open‑records requests, the council adopted an update to the city’s accounting policies and procedures manual that establishes a two‑year rolling retention period for email, text and similar electronic messages and clarifies department policy responsibilities.
The Bartlesville City Council on June 2 approved an update to the city’s records‑retention guidance in the accounting policies and procedures manual that sets specific minimum retention periods for several types of electronic records and establishes a two‑year rolling retention for city email, texts and similar electronic messages.
City Chief Financial Officer Jason Muniger introduced the draft policy and told the council the previous policy left a number of modern digital record types unspecified. Muniger said the earlier resolution that created the accounting manual authorized the city manager to adjust procedures but that the rapid increase in electronic communications and social media use made it appropriate to present a formal update to the council.
Council members described pressing operational problems: staff time spent assembling large open‑records requests and the burden of responding to many requests they described as overly broad. Council discussion noted that the state legislature enacted changes this year that make it easier for public bodies to require specificity in public‑records requests; council members said the new local retention rule would operate alongside that change.
The council agreed to a two‑year rolling retention period for email, text messages and other electronic messages that are city records; other categories (for example, body‑worn camera footage and certain departmental materials) were set to follow departmental policies or specific statutory retention schedules. The council also directed staff to compile a list of department retention rules so the city can implement the update consistently.
The motion to adopt the updated policy, with the two‑year retention applied to emails and texts, passed unanimously. Council members said the change aims to strike a balance between transparency and an unsustainable record‑keeping burden while emphasizing that any responsive material still in the city’s custody at the time of a request remains discoverable for open‑records purposes.
Because the council’s decision changes the minimum retention schedule, staff said they will update internal IT settings and return with clarifying language for social media archiving and department‑specific practices.
