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General Description: General administrative records include those for which the "record" copy is kept by the district or another office and for which duplicate copies are widely distributed throughout the organization for reference or informational purposes. This schedule also addresses records that are typically kept by any number of departments in an organization, such as project records. The specified retention period applies to the information contained within the record, regardless of the physical format of the record (paper, microfilm, computer disk or tape, optical disk, etc.).

Agreements and contracts of various kinds that document some form of agreement that is enforceable by law between the special district and other parties, including but not limited to intergovernmental agreements, memoranda of understanding, franchise agreements, lease agreements, professional services agreements, etc. Note: See other Schedules for various types of agreements and contracts.

Retention: 6 years + current after expiration or fulfillment of all terms of the agreement or contract, whichever is later, provided that audit has been completed and that the agreement or contract no longer has any binding effect; except prior to destruction, evaluate for continuing legal, administrative or historical value

See Schedule 7 External Groups and Agencies and Memberships.

Awards and honors received by the special district, departments or district programs from various public or private sources.

Retention: Permanent

Service Plan Proceedings

Records relating to the adoption, modification or repeal of the district Service Plan or provisions of the Service Plan. See also Schedule 3 Petitions – Election.

Retention: Permanent

Communications of various types that convey objections, dissatisfaction or disagreement with actions or positions taken or not taken by the district; routine requests for service or information; and petitions with no legal effect that are submitted to the district to express the opinions of the signers. See also Schedule 8 Minutes and Supporting Documentation.

Retention: 1 year + current after response or action by the district

Correspondence is a written communication that is sent to or received by 1 or more individuals via the U.S. mail, private courier, facsimile transmission or electronic mail (see Schedule 7 Electronic Mail), including letters, postcards, memoranda, notes, telecommunications and any other form of addressed, written communications that are sent or received by the district. The term general documentation is intended to cover a wide variety of records created in the normal course of business.

Calendars and Notes

Records kept to document and facilitate the routine planning and scheduling of meetings, appointments and similar activities; includes calendars, appointment books, telephone messages, notes, diaries and similar records with routine content.

Retention: 1 year

Enduring Long-Term Value

Documentation or correspondence with enduring and long-term administrative, policy, legal, fiscal, historical or research value; records that relate to policy issues and actions or activities in which an important precedent is set; records of historic events relating to the special district or the community; and other similar records and documentation.

Retention: Permanent

Routine Value

Operating documentation that is routine and contains no significant administrative, legal, fiscal, historical, informational or statistical value. Includes routine letters or memoranda sent and received, reading or chronological files that are kept solely for convenience and contain duplicates of memos or letters that are also filed elsewhere, routine requests for information, transmittal documents, etc., and includes e-mail.

Retention: 1 year + current

Transitory Value

General documentation of extremely short-term value, including advertisements, drafts and worksheets, desk notes, copies of materials circulated for informational "read only" purposes, other records with preliminary or short-term informational value, and includes e-mail.

Retention: Until material has been read

Computer-Maintained Records

Records manipulated and stored using computer technologies.

Retention: Follow the retention schedule for the specific type of record

Electronic Mail

Electronic mail is an electronic message that is transmitted between 2 or more computers or electronic terminals, whether or not the message is converted to hard copy format after receipt and whether or not the message is viewed upon transmission or stored for later retrieval, including electronic messages that are transmitted through a local, regional or global computer network [CRS 24-72-204.5].

Retention: Follow the retention schedule for the specific type of record

Records such as meeting agendas and minutes, studies and reports and other material provided to the district for courtesy or informational purposes from associations, organizations, groups and agencies that are not part of the special district organization but which have some form of association or relationship with the special district.  See also 7.200, Memberships and 7.365, Special District Records. 

Retention:  Until no longer needed for special district reference or informational purposes

Files containing correspondence, reports, technical papers, studies, reference materials and other records related or received in the general administration of a program or in the daily management of departments or offices.

General Administrative Records

Records of a general administrative nature that are created or received in the course of administering programs, including daily, weekly or monthly activity reports which are summarized in an annual report. See also Schedule 7 Program Records and Reports.

Retention: 1 year + current or until no longer needed for reference

Housekeeping Files

Records of a general housekeeping nature that are maintained by an office and that do not relate directly to the primary program responsibility of the office. Includes records such as charity fund drives, office parties, custodial service requests, parking space assignments, telephone and fax logs, and distribution of keys.

Retention: Until no longer needed for reference

Policy and Program Development Records

Records documenting the formulation and adoption of policies and procedures and the functions of the district or its departments. Includes narrative or statistical reports, related correspondence on program activities, organizational charts and mission statement studies regarding district or department operations, and records related to significant events in which the special district, departments or individual offices participated. See also Schedule 7 Program Records.

Retention: Permanent

Technical or General Reference Files

Non-record copies of articles, periodicals, reports, studies, vendor catalogs and similar materials that are needed for reference and information but are not considered to be part of the office's records. See also Schedule 7 External Groups and Agencies.

Retention: Until no longer needed for reference

External

Records such as review copies of proposed or adopted state or federal bills, legislation or regulations; notices of proposed rulemaking by federal or state agencies.

Retention: Until no longer needed for reference

Internal

See Schedule 8 Governing Body as Another Decision-Making Body.

Documentation of transactions with the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers.

Certified Mail Return Receipts

Receipts returned by the post office to document that the recipient received a mailing sent by the special district.

Retention: 2 years after matter referenced in mailing is concluded

Envelopes

Envelopes that contained communications received by the district.

Retention: Dispose of immediately, unless needed in rare circumstances as documentation of mailing and receipt dates

Mailing and Distribution Lists

Lists of names and addresses compiled for various mailings, such as billings, notifications, community outreach and other administrative purposes.

Retention: Until superseded or obsolete

Meeting Notification Lists

Listings kept of persons who, within the previous 2 years, have requested advance notification of all meetings or meetings with specific content [CRS 24-6-402(7)].

Retention: Until updated

Record of Mailing

Documentation of mailing dates, content of mailings and addressees for mailing sent by the special district for various purposes.

Retention: 2 years

Undeliverable Mailings

Mailings (excluding mailed ballots) sent by the special district that were returned as undeliverable.

Retention: 2 years after matter referenced in mailing is concluded

See Schedule 6 Manuals –Vehicles and Equipment and Schedule 7 Policies and Procedures Documentation.

Wide range of maps, drawings, architectural, cartographic and engineering records, including maps, charts, photomaps, field survey notes, map history case files and map and drawing finding aids; graphic representations at reduced scale of selected physical and cultural features of the surface of the earth; architectural and engineering drawings depicting concepts and precise measurements needed to plan and build static structures, such as buildings, bridges and streets; design and construction drawings for major special district projects; maps and drawings stored and generated by Geographic Information System (GIS) and computer-aided design (CAD) systems; "as built" drawings of district facilities; inclusion and development plats and plans; various construction drawings and renderings; special district boundary maps, election district maps, USGS topographical maps of the area; and other similar documents.

Retention: Permanent

Duplicate Copies: Until superseded or no longer needed for reference

GIS Records

Geospatial data that is used to describe a particular location, area or feature. Records include software, input (including electronic source data and data from source documents), data in electronic format, output to paper, disk, tape or other storage medium generated by the system, and documentation needed to facilitate human understanding of the system.

Back-ups and Historical Snapshots – GIS

Back-up records retained for disaster recovery purposes and historical snapshots (electronic format) retained for historical and reference purposes containing all GIS data layers and associated attribute files, GIS user production areas, the operating system and other miscellaneous software.

Back-ups for Disaster Recovery Purposes

Daily Back-up

Retention: 2 weeks

Monthly Back-up

Retention: 1 year

Replicate Copies

Copies retained on other work unit servers, in offsite data warehouse, on "read-only" district system, or elsewhere, either onsite or offsite.

Retention: Until superseded by new version of back-up

Historical Snapshots

Retention: Permanent

Data Documentation and Metadata

Records created during development or modification of an automated system, which are necessary to access, retrieve, manipulate and interpret data in that system and records that explain the meaning, purpose, structure, logical relationships and origin of the data elements. Data documentation includes data dictionaries (containing information about data layers, format and other documentation), file layouts, code books or tables, definition files and information regarding the retention period for the data and associated data documentation as well as information regarding the frequency of historical snapshots of the data and data documentation. Data documentation includes metadata (data about the data), i.e. the description of the data resources, its characteristics, location, usage, etc. Metadata is used to identify, describe and define user data.

Condensed (Temporary) Metadata

Temporary generic information that provides a dataset list (Word document) and basic information about datasets, pending the storage of "real" metadata with datasets on the GIS; includes dataset name, definitions and descriptions, data locations, significant items in attribute (tabular) data, etc.

Retention: Until superseded by metadata stored on GIS

Data Documentation and Metadata – Nonpermanent GIS Records

See also Datasets and Data Files – Temporary. Note: Obsolete temporary datasets are to be purged from the system prior to each annual GIS snapshot.

Retention: 1 year after superseded, or until deletion of database

Data Documentation and Metadata – Permanent GIS Records

This retention schedule applies only to documentation relating to databases containing permanent information. Important Note: Permanent data and its associated metadata and data documentation is retained permanently only in its most updated form unless the dataset is to be captured at specific points in time via a historical snapshot. See also Datasets and Data Files.

Retention: Until superseded

Datasets and Data Files – Permanent

A dataset is group of related records that are organized and treated as a unit or any set of data that has a common theme or similar attributes. The term is used interchangeably with the term data file. Datasets are part of the GIS database. A data layer refers to a conceptual grouping of data that share common characteristics, such as a layer composed of base or thematic data, e.g. roads (base) or wildlife habitat (thematic). Geographic data combines and links graphic representations of features or events found on the earth with corresponding tabular (attribute) data. Important Note: Permanent data is retained permanently only in its most updated form unless the dataset is to be captured at specific points in time via a historical snapshot.

Aerial Photograph and Image Datasets

Photographs and digital images of the earth that have been taken from airborne vehicles to evaluate, measure or map selected features of the landscape.

Retention: Until superseded

Base Datasets

Core data working files that are sets of information providing a background orientation for another layer of primary focus. Examples: ground and water features (roads, streams, lakes, canals, railroads, etc.) and parcels, addresses, quarter sections, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Building and Structure Datasets

Building footprints, public buildings, building inspection zones, building permits, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Business Information Datasets

Business locations, licensed establishments, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Census Datasets

Census block groups, census tract boundaries, census update boundaries, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Communication System Datasets

Fiber optic network installations.

Retention: Until superseded

Emergency Dispatch Datasets

Emergency telephone dataset used for emergency services dispatch.

Retention: Until superseded

Engineering Datasets

Street standards and facilities, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Environmental Datasets

Geologic data, soils data, radon data, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Facilities Datasets

Community facilities locations, district buildings and facilities, natural areas, parks, protective services facilities, public art locations, school locations, trails, pedestrian and bicycle trails, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Jurisdictional Boundary Datasets

Special District limits, election boundary maps, boundary maps of political subdivisions and taxing districts, enterprise zones, historic districts, protective services patrol and enforcement areas, school district boundaries, urban growth area maps, zip code boundaries, other special district, etc.

Boundaries – Special District Jurisdictional Units

Retention: Until superseded

Boundaries – Other Jurisdictions Retention: Until superseded

Land Use and Planning Datasets

Inclusions and exclusions, pending and approved developments, neighborhood planning areas, habitat data, current and proposed land uses, corridor study data, airport impact data, comprehensive plan (Structure Plan) data, transit routes, travel corridors, vacant land inventories, current and proposed zoning, zoning violations, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Stormwater and Flooding Datasets

Base flood elevations, storm drainage basins, floodplains and floodways, historic flooding data, facility inventories, monitoring system data, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Transportation System Datasets

Alley and street system data, bicycle and bus routing data, master street plan, street maintenance data, traffic flow data, etc.

Retention: Until superseded

Datasets and Data Files – Temporary

Assessor Datasets

GIS data layers containing property or land ownership information obtained from the County Assessor.

Retention: Until superseded

Symbol Datasets

Special District logo, highway marker symbols, parking lot symbols and similar mapping symbols used for printing purposes.

Retention: Until superseded

Temporary Data – In General

Datasets or data subsets created for one-time or short-term use or for the creation of various versions of mapping products.

Retention: 30 days after use, unless the customer requests that the temporary dataset be retained for possible future use. Note: Temporary datasets will appear on periodic computer back-up tapes, and those that are obsolete should be purged from the system before capturing the annual historical snapshot of GIS.

Fee Collections

Records of orders and receipts for payment from external customers for mapping products.

Retention: 2 years + current

Finding Aids

See Data Documentation and Metadata.

Policy Documentation - GIS

Records of GIS policies including those covering access and security, systems development, data retention and disposition, data distribution, rules governing issuance of data, and data ownership, etc.

Retention: Permanent

Processing Files

System logs and other processing files (electronic or printed on demand), including work files, test files, input/source files, intermediate input/output files, valid transaction files, documentation of users and operations, and audit trail files.

Retention: Follow system schedule

Source Documents – GIS

Raw data or documents or "source records" containing images and/or data provided to GIS in hard copy, microform or electronic format. Note: Metadata should include information regarding the source of the data.

Externally Acquired Source Material

GIS input and auto cad system input regarding plats and subdivisions, field book information, legal descriptions, images of plats, data and other source material acquired from other agencies and organizations.

Retention: Until uploaded to GIS, provided source of data is noted in data documentation

Internally Acquired Source Material

Replicate Source Data – District Departments

Retention: Until uploaded to GIS

Surveying Source Data

Special District surveyor’s reports and field notes from property surveys used to identify monuments, landmarks, buildings, etc. Engineering control and survey point data. Legal descriptions developed from surveys and surveying data returned from field instruments including horizontal angles, slope distance, horizontal distance, zenith angles, sun observations, drawings, etc.

Retention: Until data is transferred to GIS

Standards

Requirements that are intended to make hardware, software and data compatible and that cover data capture, accuracy, sources, base categories, output, and data element dictionaries.

Retention: Life of GIS

Website Records

Annual snapshot of GIS web page (electronic format).

Retention: Permanent

See Schedule 4 Minutes and Supporting Documentation; Schedule 7 Committees – Internal; and Schedule 8 Minutes and Supporting Documentation.

See Schedule 9 Scrapbooks.

See also Schedule 7 Public Relations Records.

Releases – Policy or Historical Value

Prepared statements or announcements issued to the news media announcing district events, new programs, program changes or termination, major shifts in policy and changes in officials or senior administrative personnel.

Retention: Permanent

Releases – Routine

Prepared statements or announcements of minor or routine events, activities, etc.

Retention: 3 years + current

7.235  Open Records Requests and Supporting Documentation

Formal requests for records submitted in accordance with state law and supporting documenta­tion relating to the special districts's response to or denial of the request.

Retention:  1 year + current after request is answered

See Schedule 7 Complaints, Routine Service Requests and Nonbinding Petitions; Schedule 7 Correspondence and General Documentation; and Schedule 3 Petitions – Election.

Written instructions, rules and guidelines in manual form documenting current and past authorized district policies and procedures, including departmental or organization-wide directives, policy or operations manuals, instruction manuals, handbooks and memoranda setting out responsibilities and guidelines or outlining policies and procedures. See also Schedule 7 General Subject Files – Policy and Program Development Records.

Clerical Manuals – Routine

Retention: 2 years after superseded or obsolete

Manuals from External Sources

Retention: Until superseded or no longer needed

Policies and Procedures Documentation – In General

Documentation, including written materials such as personnel policy manuals and standard operating procedures, that would be useful in establishing past policies or procedures in liability cases, personnel disputes and other circumstances.

Retention: Permanent

Duplicate Copies: Until superseded

Records pertaining to ongoing or special events or activities held at district facilities and programs provided by the district as recreational or cultural amenities for the community. See also Schedule 7 General Subject Files – Policy and Program Development Records.

Districts

Records of other districts that provide program services to district residents, such as recreation districts, library districts, etc.  See 7.365 Special District Records.  

Facility and Program Use Records

Records relating to registration and admission to programs sponsored by the special district, room and facility reservation sheets, permits for facility or park usage, annual or seasonal passes for recreational programs, program and event descriptions, documentation of public use of facilities for which formal registrations or permits are required, etc.

Retention: 1 year + current

Fees and Rates

See Schedule 5 Accounts Receivable Records and Fee and Rate Schedules.

Liability Waivers

Forms signed by program participants to release the district from any liability related to various activities.

Retention: 3 years + current

Library Records

Records pertaining to the operation of a library as a special district.

Book Requisitions

Retention: 1 year + current

Catalogs

Finding aids in card or computer form that provide patrons with access to library holdings.

Retention: Until superseded or obsolete

Circulation Statistics

Retention: Permanent

Gift Register

Retention: Permanent

Interlibrary Loan Transactions/Reciprocal Borrowing Sheets

Retention: 3 years + current

Patrons' Registration Forms

Retention: 6 years + current

Museum Records

Records documenting the acquisition and ownership of museum materials in museums, local history collections, and similar collections or repositories owned and operated by the special district, including:  raw (untouched) image files of museum artifacts; temporary custody forms documenting chain of custody of materials held for review pending a decision on permanent acquisition; contracts of gift or deeds of gift forms documenting permanent acquisitions; incoming loan and outgoing loan forms documenting the chain of custody of materials loaned to the museum or loaned by the museum to other repositories; and deaccession records documenting the removal of materials from the collection.  

Retention:  Permanent

Other Programs Sponsored by Special District

Documentation needed for reference in developing future programs, including program flyers, press releases, etc. Examples of district programs include recreation, senior citizen and youth programs. See Schedule 7 General Subject Files – Policy and Program Development Records.

Support Groups – Special District Programs

Groups organized in support of district programs, such as senior citizen community groups, youth groups, Friends of the Library or Museum, and similar groups. See Schedule 7 External Groups and Agencies.

Sister City Program

Records of participation of the district in sister programs with cities/districts in other countries, including documentation of selection of sister cities, administration of the program, exchange visits, photographs and related documentation.

Retention: Permanent

Capital Projects  

Records of capital projects, professional services relating to capital improvements and projects relating to the design, engineering, construction, major repair, renovation or demoli­tion of district owned structures, buildings, facilities, bridges, streets and roadways, utility system features, public works, parks, stormwater and storm drainage facilities, dams and reservoirs, other water projects, fiber optics and communications structures and other infrastructure.  Project files may include documentation such as final project reports, specifi­cations and contract documents, certificates of insurance, project-related permits and licenses issued to the special district by other entities, notices to proceed and of final settlement, project pay estimates, change orders and correspondence and general documentation.

Retention:  6 years + current after replacement, demolition or transfer of the improvement to another entity, except that routine material may be purged when eligible for destruction under this Retention Schedule and except that, prior to destruction, the records must be evaluated for continuing legal, administrative or historical value  [CRS 24-16-105]

1.   Project Bonds

a.   Labor and Materials Bonds

Surety or other types of bonds received from contractors to guarantee payment by the contractor to workers, subcontractors and suppliers.

Retention:  6 years + current after expiration or project completion, whichever is later  

b.   Performance and Payment Bonds

Surety or other types of bonds received from contractors to guarantee performance and payments for district projects.

Retention:  1 year + current after project completion

2.   Project Control Files

Contain routine memoranda, preliminary reports, and other general documentation and records documenting assignments and the progress of projects.  Note:  Does not include final reports, which are to be retained as part of the project file (see above).

Retention:  1 year after project is closed

B.   Information Technology Projects [Reserved]  

C.   Noncapital Projects 

Records relating to other types of "projects" that do not relate to capital improvements; i.e., these would typically be working files documenting an activity, plan, program, assignment, new undertaking, etc.  See 7.140, General Subject Files.

Major Projects

Records of major projects, goods and services acquired relating to capital improvements and permanent assets of the special district; design, engineering, construction, repair and/or major maintenance of district owned buildings, facilities, roadways, utilities, public works and other infrastructure valued at over $______ [threshold to be determined by each individual district]. Project files may include documentation such as final project reports, specifications and contract documents, notices to proceed and of final settlement, project pay estimates, change orders and correspondence and general documentation.

Retention: Permanent

Minor Projects

Records of minor projects, goods and services acquired relating to capital improvements, design, engineering, construction, repair and/or maintenance of district owned buildings, facilities, roadways, utilities, public works and other infrastructure under $______ in value [threshold to be determined by each individual district]. Project files may include documentation such as final project reports, specifications and contract documents, notices to proceed and of final settlement, project pay estimates, change orders and correspondence and general documentation.

Retention: 2 years after project completion, provided there is no legal or administrative value

Project Bonds

Labor and Materials Bonds

Surety or other types of bonds received from contractors to guarantee payment by the contractor to workers, subcontractors and suppliers.

Retention: 6 years + current

Performance and Payment Bonds

Surety or other types of bonds received from contractors to guarantee performance and payments for district projects.

Retention: 1 year + current after project completion

Project Control Files

Contain routine memoranda, preliminary reports, and other general documentation and records documenting assignments and the progress of projects. Note: Does not include final reports, which are to be retained as part of the project file (see above).

Retention: 1 year after project is closed

Speeches, addresses, and comments of public officials, remarks made at formal district ceremonies by elected district  officials, etc. Includes paper, videotape, motion picture or tape recordings. See also Schedule 7 News Releases.

Retention: Permanent

Documents printed or otherwise produced for wide internal or external distribution, including annual reports, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, studies, proposals, newsletters, instructional materials, and similar materials printed by or for the district or any of its departments, and made available to the public. See also Appendix A Non-Records relating to publications of other agencies or entities that are not considered to be districtl records for retention purposes.

Retention: Permanent

See Schedule 7 Regulations and Standards.

See Schedule 6 Computer System Records.

7.365 Special District Records  

Records pertaining to water, sanitation, flood control, urban drainage, metropolitan, airport, library, fire, ambulance and other special districts that provide services within the special district, including service area plans, boundary maps, service agreements, intergovernmental agreements, memoranda of understanding, other agreements and contracts, and supporting documentation.

Retention:  6 years + current after the district's agreement with the special district no longer has any binding effect, then evaluate for continuing value prior to destruction

See Schedule 7 Regulations and Standards.

Documents prepared by the district or by external entities on behalf of the district. Examples include feasibility studies, planning and land use studies, basin plans, capital projects reports, transportation system plans, master street plans and similar documents that have long-term reference or historical value. Studies, plans and reports retained by the district that are prepared by or on behalf of other entities, and which include information of interest to the district, should be evaluated for long-term reference or historical value to the special district. See also Schedule 7 Reports and Schedule 11 Plans, Studies and Reports.

Retention: Permanent

Records documenting activities of district officials or employees at seminars, conferences or other training sessions not sponsored by the district, including instructional materials obtained by officials and staff members at conferences, seminars or other types of external training sessions. See also Schedule 15 Training Information.

Retention: 2 years

Documents such as rough notes, calculations or drafts assembled or created and used to prepare or analyze other documents; records of a preliminary or working nature which do not represent significant steps in the preparation of the final version of documents; includes informal notes, preliminary drafts of letters, memoranda, reports, computer or printer output used to verify information entered into a computer and not considered to be a final copy, etc. See also Schedule 5 Worksheets – Financial.

Retention: Until no longer needed

2008 Colorado Special Districts Records Retention Schedule Main Page

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