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Leavenworth council reviews draft AI policy aimed at records-retention oversight
Summary
Council members reviewed a draft artificial-intelligence policy adapted from Wenatchee that emphasizes records-retention and public‑records disclosure for AI-generated content; staff will seek legal review and return a resolution if the council supports it.
Leavenworth councilmembers took an early look at a draft artificial‑intelligence policy on Tuesday, with staff saying the document is intended to help the city manage rising use of generative tools and the records those tools produce.
Speaker 3 told the council the draft, presented for review, was modeled on Wenatchee’s recently adopted AI policy and was brought forward after the mayor and staff attended Association of Washington Cities trainings that recommended local AI rules. The primary impetus, staff said, is records retention: both finished AI outputs and the prompts or chat histories that produce them can be public records subject to retention and disclosure.
Council members asked about costs and tools. Staff said the draft directs staff to use free tools where possible but left open paid subscriptions when they offer better retention or verifiable sourcing. A council member noted Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT were already in limited use among staff; another asked whether the city attorney would review the draft. Staff said they would send the policy to the city attorney (Tom) before returning a resolution for formal consideration.
Why it matters: AI tools can produce outputs quickly, but they also create additional layers of records, including prompts and metadata, that municipal records laws can require the city to retain and disclose. The draft policy is an attempt to set guidance now rather than react after an inadvertent public‑records disclosure.
What’s next: Staff will forward the draft to legal counsel for review and return a recommended resolution to council if the body endorses moving forward. The council did not vote on the policy at the meeting; the session was a first review and question-and-answer period.
