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Commissioners press for a records‑preservation plan before digitizing county archives; concerns raised about FamilySearch contract language
Summary
Commissioners and museum representatives urged reactivating the records preservation group, creating a county retention and storage plan, and re‑examining a draft contract with FamilySearch after commissioners said earlier language granted broad perpetual rights; staff committed to locating drafts and arranging follow‑up meetings with tribal stakeholders and the museum.
Commission business shifted to records preservation, where commissioners pressed for a clear plan before proceeding with digitization or vendor selection. Multiple commissioners said the records preservation work had stalled and that a standing records group needs reconstitution to inventory records, set retention rules and define storage, access and vendor requirements.
A commissioner raised concerns about a draft contract with FamilySearch that was reported to grant unlimited, perpetual worldwide rights to digitized records, including marketing uses. The commissioner said granting such rights without a county plan for ownership, storage, access and long‑term stewardship was unacceptable. "I would need the community—are you okay with our records?" the commissioner asked, summarizing the concern that digitized county records are county property and should not be placed in external services without clear terms.
Museum representatives and commissioners also discussed the need for tribal consultation. Commissioners said earlier discussions anticipated tribal review and that some tribal committees were expected to consider the project; museum and tribal contacts reported mixed communications and inconsistent follow‑up. The museum representative said they want an open, transparent process and offered to help re‑establish regular records‑group meetings and to explore alternative vendor options if FamilySearch does not meet the county's preservation goals.
Planner Elijah Bridal acknowledged staffing transitions and committed to locating the draft report and any related contract documents, and to re‑circulating them for commissioner review. Commissioners asked that a plan and retention policy be clarified before further digitization and that next steps be coordinated through the reconstituted records group with tribal and museum participation.
Commissioners also raised related outstanding items—inventory work with Yosemite National Park, the Gold Rush design review guidelines (including edits to remove language diminishing Native Peoples) and outreach planning—and asked staff to follow up so these projects do not fall through during the staffing handoff.
