BCR Registry Number BCR File number Date of BCR Subject of BCR Approval date Original sent to Subject File number 2011-15 2300-20 2011-03-15 Funds for post secondary student travel 2011-04-01 Education Department 5700-50 2011-16 2300-20 2011-05-29 Approval for water study 2011-06-29 Capital Works Department 6400-01 Letters to Chief and Council – see B3 – Letters to Chief and Council Letters to Chief and Council are about many different subjects. They will be discussed at a meeting, and usually require decisions or actions for follow up by staff. They are similar to BCR’s, in that staff need to file these in several ways, first in the agenda file or meeting file by the date of the meeting when they were considered by the chief and council. However, they may also need to be filed by the subject of the letter, and also tracked by the staff member who is assigned to follow up on the matter raised. These different requirements will require copies of the letter to be filed in two locations within the filing system. Here is an example of a registry of letters to chief and council: Letter Registry number Date Received Chief and Council meeting date Chief and Council File number Author Subject Subject file number Follow-up 2011 - 06 2011-01-20 2011-02-12 2340-20 Bradley, Sandie Dogs off leash 2300-30 Lands Administrator 2011-14 2011-06-22 2011-06-30 2340-20 Jones, Bill Housing repairs 4120-20 Housing Manager 2011-16 2011-06-23 2011-06-30 2340-20 Smith, Sue Medical travel 8040-20 Health Care Administrator
Reports to Chief and Council – see B4 – Reports to Chief and Council Reports to Chief and Council cover many different subjects. They will be distributed as part of an agenda package for a meeting. Like BCR’s and correspondence to Chief and Council, staff need to keep track of these by the date of the meeting when they were considered by the chief and council. However, they also need to be recorded by the subject of the report, particularly for the staff member who prepared the report or is responsible for the portfolio the report is about. These different requirements will require copies of the report to be filed in the meeting file as well as in the subject file that the report is about. Depending on the size of the report, the report might also be treated as a “library” item, with a copy filed in a “Resources” or “Reference” Library on bookshelves or in a meeting room Minutes of Chief and Council Meetings – see B5 – Minutes of Chief and Council Meetings Minutes of Chief and Council are duplicated and distributed to many staff in the organization. They will be distributed as part of an agenda package for a meeting. Like BCR’s and correspondence to Chief and Council, staff need to file minutes by the date of the meeting that they record. The process for preparing and approving minutes is outlined in the diagram. Once minutes have been drafted and approved, they are filed with other materials from the meeting. All records of Chief and Council meetings are considered “vital” or essential records, and should be backed up electronically and stored offsite. Signed original records should be stored in fire proof filing cabinets. Filing Cabinets, folders and labels Cabinets Drawer style, with roll-out drawers, continue to be purchased for paper filing. These are now called “Victorians” and are discouraged, because they do not provide the greatest storage capacity.
Closing files Records are closed at a logical time, likely at year end. For some records, a conditional retention is required, such as “retain until employment ceases”. In this case, the inactive state begins when the condition of employment is completed. When records are closed, a formal file closure notice or label is placed in the folder, and the folder is removed from the active file area. Boxing and storing paper records Tote boxes are used for records storage. These boxes hold 1.5 cubic feet of paper records. These boxes are strong, contain no glue, have handles and may be stacked in the storage space. The following instructions for boxing records must be followed, to enable rapid retrieval of stored records, and also enable the approved disposal of records. Copies of the box storage form (also know as the “records transfer” form, and box label form are included at the end of this section. Pack file folders into the box in their original filing order, and with other records of the same retention period. When the box is filled, complete an inventory listing (“records transfer list”) describing the contents of the box. The records management staff member issues records storage/transfer forms, and also issues box numbers, so that the boxes may be identified, placed on shelving, and be retrieved if necessary. Three copies of the inventory/transfer list are made. One copy goes into the box, to