Commissioners delay final vote on records retention policy after staff and public raise concerns

Custer County commissioners reviewed a proposed records retention policy but did not adopt it at Thursday's meeting. Commissioners directed staff to circulate the draft to elected officials and department heads for departmental review and to return with revisions at a future meeting.

County staff and the county clerk said portions of the draft require local adjustments because retention periods and categories differ by office. The county's auditor had requested the county provide records for an upcoming audit; staff said they could provide the draft or a marked copy for the auditor but recommended wider internal vetting first.

During public comment, two residents urged the board to preserve financial records from Jan. 1, 2011, to the present and said they intend to ask state authorities to pursue a forensic audit. One commenter named specific statutes and federal acts as standards they wished the county to meet; county staff responded that some financial records already have extended retention periods and that records relevant to litigation or open complaints would be preserved beyond ordinary retention periods.

Commissioners discussed timing: staff said the auditor's document deadline is mid-April and on-site audit work is scheduled for late April. Commissioners agreed the policy is a living document that can be amended; several asked staff to circulate the draft, collect department comments, and return with a revised version for adoption. No adoption motion was made during the meeting.

The board's next step is to distribute the draft retention schedule to each office for review, collect change pages, and present a revised policy at a future meeting.