Nebraska LTAP Records Management for Nebraska Public Entities Nebraska

Nebraska LTAP Records Management for Nebraska Public Entities Nebraska County Highway and City Street Superintendents Kearney, NE

Nebraska LTAP What is a “Record”? Any material that documents a transaction, decision or activity of public business. Design plans Right-of-way acquisition Documents Contract Interlocal agreement One- and Six-Year plan Annual Report (SSAR) Budget Report Plat Map Photograph Memo Vehicle Operator Report Letter Meeting minutes Field notebook Contractor invoice Grading computations Weigh ticket Equipment repair receipt Maintenance activity Bridge inspection Policy Disciplinary action Gravel and rock report Inventory Gas Truck Tank deliver sheet

Nebraska LTAP What is a “Public Record”?

Nebraska LTAP RECORDS ARE INFORMATION NOT FORMAT Public records encompass all aspects of a public agency’s work and can be on paper or electronic.

Nebraska LTAP Why Must Agencies Keep Records? 1. To effectively carry out an agency’s mission 2. It’s public money! 3. Accountability & Transparency – Answering to the People 4. Conduct daily business – Documentation of Decisions 5. Ease transitions 6. Recover from disaster

Nebraska LTAP The Life of a Record Record Management: The administrative and managerial activities related to managing records throughout their life cycle. Destruction Creation/Receipt Maintenance & Use Disposition Preservation

Nebraska LTAP Record Management Goals Effectively carry out an agency’s mission – Protect the rights of residents – Accountability through public access – Preserve records of permanent value

Nebraska LTAP Elements of a Records Management Program 1. A strong policy and financial support from the governing or supervising authority 2. Standard policies and procedures 3. A filing and indexing system 4. A regular inventory of records 5. Records retentions schedules – Identify the period of time records are to be preserved

Nebraska LTAP Elements of a Records Management Program, cont’d 6. Appropriate use of technology to create, store and retrieve records 7. Secure and cost-effective storage 8. Identifying and preserving essential (vital) records 9. Destroying obsolete records

Nebraska LTAP It’s the Law Managing records is not optional. Most entities have their own laws. – Local – State – Federal

Nebraska LTAP Benefits of Record Management Identify and protect essential (vital) records Locate information Reduce storage volume Improve standard operating procedures Reduce costs Improve customer relations Improve public trust and accountability Reduce liability risks

Nebraska LTAP Neb. Rev. Stat. §§84-1201 to 84-1228 12

Records Management http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html http://www.sos.ne.gov/records-management/records mgmt tutorial.html 13

Nebraska LTAP and more Local Govt (60 total) 14

Nebraska LTAP 15

Nebraska LTAP Municipalities Need to review several different schedules to know all requirements 16

Nebraska LTAP Counties Need to review several different schedules to know all requirements Thank you to: 17

Nebraska LTAP Questions? 18