Source: https://www.ecode360.com/15610453
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 01:09:35+00:00

Document:
§ 42-1 Purpose and scope.
§ 42-2 Designation of records access officer; responsibilities.
§ 42-3 Location where records may be examined.
§ 42-4 Hours for public inspection.
§ 42-5 Requests for access to records.
§ 42-6 Listing of subject matter.
§ 42-7 Denial of access; appeals.
§ 42-8 Inspection and transcription of records.
§ 42-10 Establishment of program; designation of officer.
§ 42-11 Powers and duties of officer.
§ 42-12 Records Advisory Board.
§ 42-15 Disposal of records.
Fees for copies of records — See Ch. 130.
This article provides information concerning the procedures by which records may be obtained from an agency as defined by Subdivision 3 of § 86 of the Public Officers Law.
Town personnel shall furnish to the public the information and records required by the Freedom of Information Law, as well as records otherwise available by law.
The Town Board shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the regulations herein, and designates the Town Clerk as records access officer, who shall have the duty of coordinating response to public requests for access to records. The designation of one or more records access officers shall not be construed to prohibit officials who have in the past been authorized to make records or information available to the public from continuing to do so.
Assist the requestor in identifying requested records, if necessary; contact requestor seeking records when a request is voluminous or when locating the records involves substantial effort, so that Town personnel may ascertain the nature of records of primary interest and attempt to reasonably reduce the volume of records requested.
Records shall be available for public inspection and copying at the Town Clerk's Office.
The records access officer shall accept requests for public access to records and produce records during all hours he is regularly open for business.
The Town may require that a request be made in writing or may make records available upon oral request.
The records access officer shall respond to any request reasonably describing the record or records sought within five business days of receipt of the request.
If the receipt of request was acknowledged in writing and included an approximate date when the request would be granted in whole or in part within 20 business days of such acknowledgment, but the circumstances prevent disclosure within that time, providing a statement in writing within 20 business days of such acknowledgment specifying the reason for the inability to do so and a date certain, within a reasonable period under the circumstances of the request, when the request will be granted in whole or in part.
A failure to comply with the time limitations described herein shall constitute a denial or a request that may be appealed.
The Town shall maintain a reasonably detailed current list by subject matter of all records in its possession, whether or not records are available pursuant to Subdivision 2 of § 87 of the Public Officers Law.
The Town Board shall hear appeals or shall designate a person or body to hear appeals regarding denial of access to records under the Freedom of Information Law.
Denial of access shall be in writing, stating the reason therefor and advising the person denied access of his or her right to appeal to the person or body established to hear appeals, and that person or body shall be identified by name, title, business address and business telephone number. The records access officer shall not be the appeals officer.
If the records access officer fails to respond to a request within five business days of receipt of a request as required in § 42-5D of this article, such failure shall be deemed a denial of access by the Town.
Any person denied access to records may appeal within 30 days of a denial.
The records access officer shall transmit to the Committee on Open Government copies of all appeals upon receipt of appeals. Such copies shall be addressed to: Committee on Open Government, Department of State, 41 State Street, Albany, New York 12231.
The person or body designated to hear appeals shall inform the appellant and the Committee on Open Government of its determination in writing within seven business days of receipt of an appeal.
Failure to determine an appeal within seven business days of its receipt by granting access to the records sought or fully explaining the reasons for further denial in writing shall constitute a denial of the appeal.
The determination shall be transmitted to the Committee on Open Government in the same manner as set forth in Subsection F of this section.
A final denial of access to a requested record, as provided for in Subsection G of this section, shall be subject to court review, as provided for in Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
There shall be no fee charged for the following.
The fee for copying records shall not exceed the amount established in Chapter 130, Fees, per page for photocopies not exceeding nine inches by 14 inches.
If the Town cannot photocopy the record, a transcript of the requested records shall be made upon request. Such transcripts may either be typed or handwritten. In such cases, the person requesting records may be charged for the clerical time involved in making the transcript.
The fee for copies of records not covered by Subsection B(1) and (2) of this section shall not exceed the actual reproduction cost, which is the average unit cost for copying a record, excluding fixed costs of the agency such as operator salaries.
The name, title, business address and business telephone number of the designated records access officer.
There shall be a records management program established under the aegis of and headed by a records management officer (RMO). The recordkeeping officer will be the Town Clerk of the Town of Kingsbury unless otherwise designated. The officer will be responsible for administering the noncurrent and archival public records and storage areas for the local government in accordance with local, state and federal laws and guidelines.
There are numerous choices for placement of the records management/archives program within the local government structure. One option is to name an existing officer as RMO, such as the County Clerk or the director of a central services agency. The wording may also include an option for this officer to appoint a designee.
The officer shall have all the necessary powers to carry out the efficient administration, determination of value, use, preservation, storage and disposition of the noncurrent and archival public records kept, filed or received by the offices and departments of the local government.
Obsolete and unnecessary records according to New York State Records Retention and Disposition Schedules thereby subject to disposition.
Information containing administrative, legal, fiscal, research, historical or educational value which warrants its permanent retention.
The officer shall establish guidelines for proper records management in any department or agency of the local government in accordance with local, state and federal laws and guidelines.
The officer shall report annually to the chief executive official and the governing body on the powers and duties herein mentioned, including but not limited to the cost/benefit ratio of programs effectuated by the department.
The officer shall operate a records management center for the storage, processing and servicing of all noncurrent and archival records for all local government departments and agencies.
Advise and assist local government departments in reviewing and selecting material to be transferred to the local government archives for preservation.
Continually survey and examine public records to determine the most suitable methods to be used for the creating, maintaining, storing and servicing of archival materials.
Establish and maintain an adequate repository for the proper storage, conservation, processing and servicing of archival records.
Promulgate rules governing public access to and use of records in the archives, subject to the approval of the Records Advisory Board.
Develop a confidentiality policy for archival records designated confidential provided that such policy does not conflict with any federal or state statutes.
Provide information services to other local government offices.
Collect archival materials which are not official local government records but which have associational value to the local government or a close relationship to the existing archival collection. Such collection shall be subject to archive space, staff and cost limitations and to the potential endangerment of such materials if they are not collected by the archives.
Develop a procedure whereby historically important records are to be identified at the point of generation.
To review retention periods proposed by the records management officer for records not covered by the state archives' schedules.
A local government department is the legal custodian of its records and shall retain custody of records deposited in the records center. Records transferred to or acquired by the archives shall be under the custody and control of the archives rather than the department which created or held them immediately prior to being transferred to the archives.
Records shall be transferred to the archives upon the recommendation of the RMO, with the approval of the head of the department which has custody of the records and the approval of the Records Advisory Board.
Records may be permanently removed from the archives at the request of the RMO or the head of the department which had custody of the records immediately prior to the transfer of those records to the archives, subject to the approval of the Records Advisory Board.
The Legal Department may take steps to recover local government records which have been alienated from proper custody and may, when necessary, institute actions of replevin.
No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by a department of the local government unless approval has been obtained from the records management officer. No records shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the records management officer without the express written consent of the department head having authority.
Those official records which have been determined by the officer and advisory committee to have sufficient historical or other value to warrant their continued preservation by the local government.
Any documents, books, papers, photographs, sound recordings, microforms or any other materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official local government business.
An establishment maintained by the local government primarily for the storage, servicing, security and processing of records which must be preserved for varying periods of time and need not be retained in office equipment or space.
The transfer of records to the record center/archives for temporary storage of inactive records and permanent storage of records determined to have historical or other sufficient value warranting continued preservation.
The transfer of records from one local government agency to any other local government agency.
The planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promotion and other managerial use and records disposition, including records preservation, records disposal and records centers or other storage facilities.
Making information in records available to any local government agency for official use or to the public.

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 § 86
 § 87
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