Chapter Six – Public Records / Media Relations 6.1 Public Records
Public records are maintained by the City Clerk as directed by the Government Code and managed through the adopted Records Retention Schedule. Each City Department also houses and manages active public records in their respective work areas. All actions of the City Council are recorded and maintained as part of the official public record. While there are some specific exceptions, the general rule is that the information is public. City Council actions come in several forms. Formal actions are captured in the minutes of the meeting. Resolutions establish policy and provide direction. Ordinances set the code or laws under which the City is operated. All agenda related materials, minutes, and resolutions of City commissions and committees are also considered public records. These documents are prepared by the respective City departments supporting a particular City commission or committee. The City Clerk’s Office maintains these records for the long term according to retention schedules. Irvine Quick Records is accessible via the City’s web site for members of the public and houses over 20 million public records. 6.1.1 Electronic Mail (Email) Electronic mail communication generally constitutes “preliminary drafts, notes, or interagency or intra-agency memoranda that are not retained by the public agency in the ordinary course of business” within the meaning of Government Code Section 6254(a), unless the email communication is printed and retained in official City files. Further, the disposition of the types of records (email) generated or received by the City of Irvine, is authorized for disposition as outlined in accordance with Government Code Section 34090 et seq., upon the consent in writing by the Department Director, the Municipal Records Administrator, and the City Attorney, without further action of the City Council. (Adopted on 06-11-02 by City Council Resolution No. 02-69) The City’s current retention period for email communications residing on City computers is two years. This means that any email sent or received will be deleted from the City’s server after that time.
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