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Commissioners approve forwarding a records-retention schedule to Ohio History Connection; discuss storage and digitization
Summary
The board voted to forward a proposed records-retention schedule to the Ohio History Connection for review. The meeting also included extensive discussion of overcrowded basement records, a near-term vendor quote (~$46,793.11) for high-density shelving, and long-term digitization plans.
Commissioners voted to forward a records-retention schedule to the Ohio History Connection after a presentation and discussion about county archives and storage conditions. The retention schedule was described as largely aligned with the state minimums; commissioners were told the History Connection would identify any documents deemed historically significant and request copies if needed.
The recordkeeper (Speaker 3) described a crowded basement records room with files stored in banker boxes and flagged deterioration, water/leak risks and limited climate control. As a near-term remedy, Speaker 3 presented a vendor quote of $46,793.11 for two mobile high-density shelving units that would increase capacity and be relocatable if the county later upgrades facilities.
Commissioners discussed ongoing scanning and digitization work, including rescanning efforts to fix earlier bulk imports and the legal question of whether electronic images can serve as the official file (the transcript noted limits based on state rules and cited the need for permission before discarding paper copies). Speakers said digitization would be saved in at least two independent copies (case-management software and a digital archive) to reduce physical storage needs and enable shredding of non-historical paper records where legally allowed.
The board approved by voice vote sending the retention schedule to the Ohio History Connection; no roll-call tally was recorded. Commissioners directed staff to continue exploring both short-term mobile shelving and broader RFP-driven county-wide solutions for records storage and scanning.
Quotes in the transcript: Speaker 3 said, "This solution I found here made it easier for the public... to be able to do the research" and later cited a vendor price of "$46,793 and 11¢" for the immediate shelving option.
