Grant County adopts artificial‑intelligence and three‑year email‑retention policies

Grant County commissioners approved two information‑technology governance policies aimed at managing risk and modernizing operations: an artificial‑intelligence (AI) policy and a county email data‑retention policy.

The AI policy requires departments to bring new AI technologies through the Grant County tech committee and advises against using free AI versions on county devices; the policy favors subscription‑based services vetted by the county’s IT vendor. A commissioner summarized the intent as ensuring the IT vendor and technology committee are aware of new systems and that privacy and security considerations are reviewed before deployment.

"No free versions of AIs are allowed on county devices," a county official said while describing the policy's guidance; the board voted to adopt the policy and asked the tech committee to refine parts that may later require sign‑offs or tracking.

Separately, the board approved an email data‑retention policy that implements a three‑year automatic purge for inboxes, sent items, deleted items and drafts while preserving users’ custom folders. Staff said the tech committee recommended a July 1 implementation date and that training would be provided to department heads to serve as trainers for their staffs.

Commissioners discussed making training available on multiple dates and possibly offering a train‑the‑trainer model so employees who miss the initial sessions can receive the same instruction later. The board approved both policies by recorded motion.