Commission adopts updated record retention policy after amending contract/grant retention periods

The Commission on the Environment voted Dec. 6 to adopt an updated record retention policy and schedule for the Department of the Environment after agreeing to an amendment requested by the Office of the Controller.

Deirdre Tannenberg, public affairs assistant coordinator, presented the updated policy, which aligns the department with the Administrative Code (chapter 8) and adds guidance on email records, federal awards and a digital‑first approach to records storage. Staff said email systems (e.g., Outlook) alone do not satisfy retention obligations and highlighted limits on storing records on external drives.

During discussion staff noted specific required edits from the controller’s office: change multiple schedule line items that previously read “2 years” to “contract life plus 7 years retention or the term required by the funding source” for contract, agreement, MOU and grant records. The commission moved an amendment to implement that language; commissioners then voted to adopt the amended policy by roll call.

Public comment raised formatting and naming concerns (noting the City Charter reference to “Department of the Environment”) and requested clearer sections for finance and program records. Staff said the policy would be submitted for the controller’s and City Attorney’s signatures as required.

Next steps: staff will collect required signatures from Controller, City Attorney and Retirement Board and finalize the schedule; commissioners instructed staff to implement the policy upon adoption.