A. The city is not required to retain every record it ever created or used. The state and local records committees approve a general retention schedule for state and local agency records that applies to records that are common to most agencies. Individual agencies seek approval from the state or local records committee for retention schedules that are specific to their agency, or that, because of particular needs of the agency, must be kept longer than provided in the general records retention schedule. The retention schedules for state and local agencies are available on the Washington Secretary of State’s website.

B. The city has a retention policy in which employees save retainable records and delete nonretainable records. The lawful destruction of public records is governed by retention schedules.

C. An agency is prohibited from destroying a public record, even if it is about to be lawfully destroyed under a retention schedule, if a public records request has been made for that record. Additional retention requirements might apply if the records may be relevant to actual or anticipated litigation. The agency is required to retain the record until the record request has been resolved. (Ord. 1465 § 1 (Exh. A), 2021; Ord. 1371 § 1 (Exh. A), 2017; Ord. 1094 § 1, 2007).