MUNICIPAL RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 2, art. IV, div. 5

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-111 Definitions.

Sec. 2-111. - Definitions. For the purpose of this division, the following words and terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed: City record means any document, paper, letter, book, map, photograph, sound or video recording, microfilm, magnetic tape, electronic medium, or other information recording medium, regardless of physical form or characteristic and regardless of whether public access to it is open or restricted under the laws of the state, created or received by the city government or any of its officers or employees pursuant to law, including an ordinance, or in the transaction of public business. The term does not include: (1) Extra identical copies of documents created only for convenience of reference or research by officers or employees of the city government; (2) Notes, journals, diaries, and similar documents created by an officer or employee of the city government for the officer's or employee's personal convenience; (3) Blank forms; (4) Stocks of publications; (5) Library and museum materials acquired solely for the purposes of reference or display; or (6) Copies of documents in any media furnished to members of the public to which they are entitled under Chapter 424, Acts of the 63rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1973 (Article 6252-17a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), or other state law. Custodian means the appointed or elected public officer who by the city Charter, state law, ordinance or administrative policy is in charge of an office that creates or receives city records. Director and librarian means the executive and administrative officer of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Office means any office, department, division, program, commission, bureau, board, committee, or similar entity of the city government. Records control schedule means a document prepared by or under the authority of the records management officer listing the records maintained by the city, their retention periods, and other records disposition information that the records management program may require. Records management means the application of management techniques to the creation, use, maintenance, retention, preservation, and disposal of records for the purposes of reducing the costs and improving the efficiency of recordkeeping. The term includes the development of records control schedules, the management of filing and information retrieval systems, the protection of essential and permanent records, the economical and space-effective storage of inactive records, control over the creation and distribution of forms, reports, and correspondence, and the management of micrographics and electronic and other records storage systems. Records management officer means the person designated in section 2-114 pursuant to section 203.025 of the Texas Local Government Code as the records management officer for the City of Houston. Records retention schedule means a document issued by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under authority of Subchapter J, Chapter 441, Government Code, establishing mandatory retention periods for city records. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-112 City records declared public property.

Sec. 2-112. - City records declared public property. All city records as defined in section 2-111 of this Code are hereby declared to be the property of the City of Houston. No city official or employee has, by virtue of his or her position, any personal or property right to such records even though he or she may have developed or compiled with them. The unauthorized destruction, removal from files, or use of such records is prohibited. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-113 Policy.

Sec. 2-113. - Policy. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City of Houston to provide for efficient, economical, and effective controls over the creation, distribution, organization, maintenance, use, and disposition of all city records through a comprehensive system of integrated procedures for the management of records from their creation to their ultimate disposition. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-114 Designation of records management officer.

Sec. 2-114. - Designation of records management officer. The director of the department of administration and regulatory affairs shall be the city's records management officer and shall be responsible for city-wide files management and the direction and control of the city's records disposition program. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91; Ord. No. 91-1076, § 9, 7-17-91; Ord. No. 08-52, § 2, 1-16-08, eff. 1-26-08)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-115 Duties of the records management office.

Sec. 2-115. - Duties of the records management office. The specific duties of the records management office and its employees shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) Plan, formulate, and prescribe basic files management and records disposition policies, systems, standards, and procedures. (2) Prepare records control schedules in cooperation with the heads [directors] of all city offices and departments, define and identify vital and permanent records, and establish retention periods for all records which shall be at least as long as any mandatory retention periods established by the librarian and director. (3) Review schedules annually and update or amend as needed. (4) Coordinate the city-wide files management and records disposition programs and report annually to the mayor on program effectiveness. (5) Provide records management advice and assistance to all city offices and departments by preparation of manuals of procedure and policy and by on-site consultation. (6) Develop, disseminate, and coordinate files maintenance and records disposition procedures, including, but not limited to, those prescribed by this division 5, to meet the current and long-term information needs of the city. (7) Train departmental records officers and other personnel in the fundamentals of records management and their duties in the records management program. (8) Carry out at the proper time actions such as microphotography, destruction, and transfers that are required by records control schedules. (9) Establish and monitor compliance with standards for filing and storage equipment and supplies in all city offices and departments. (10) Develop a city-wide forms design and control system. (11) Establish in cooperation with other responsible city officials a disaster plan for each city office and department to ensure maximum availability of records for reestablishing operations quickly and with minimum disruption and expense. (12) Develop procedures to ensure the permanent preservation of the historically valuable records of the city. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91; Ord. No. 05-91, § 1, 1-25-05)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-116 Responsibilities of city office and department directors.

Sec. 2-116. - Responsibilities of city office and department directors. Unless otherwise provided by law, all city office and department directors shall serve as custodians of the city records created or received by their offices or departments. They shall be responsible for the implementation and operation of the effective files procedures, records transfers and dispositions, and other activities within their areas of responsibility in accordance with the provisions of this division. They shall designate records officers within their offices and provide the records management officer the names of such designees and of all file stations and file personnel under their supervision. Persons designated as records officers shall report directly to the directors of their departments on matters relating to the records management program and should have full access to all files in their department. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91; Ord. No. 05-91, § 1, 1-25-05)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-117 Responsibilities of records officers.

Sec. 2-117. - Responsibilities of records officers. The records officer in each office and department is responsible for providing coordination between the records management officer and personnel in his or her office to ensure that provisions of this division are complied with. This responsibility shall include overseeing the application of records control schedules within the office or department. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-118 City offices to use records control schedule.

Sec. 2-118. - City offices to use records control schedule. In accordance with the Local Government Records Act, Tex. Local Government Code, section 201.001, et seq., all city offices and departments shall adopt records control schedules and destroy, transfer, or otherwise dispose of records only according to such schedules. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-119 Development of records control schedules.

Sec. 2-119. - Development of records control schedules. (a) Retention periods to be included in records control schedules shall be submitted by the records management officer to the city attorney, who shall notify the records management officer within 20 working days of his approval or of any objection to a retention period or request additional time not to exceed 20 additional working days in which to respond. At the expiration of the period (which shall not exceed 40 working days), if no objection has been submitted, the records control schedule shall be adopted by the city. If objection is made, the records management officer shall determine a retention period satisfactory to the office or department concerned and to the city attorney. Retention periods shall be at least as long as any mandatory period established by the librarian and director. If approved by the director and librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in accordance with section 202.001 of the Texas Local Government Code, the records control schedule shall have full force as sufficient authorization for records destruction or other action. (b) When a records control schedule is adopted by the city and approved by the director and librarian, it shall thenceforth constitute full authority to destroy, transfer, microphotograph, or take other actions, and the city council hereby directs that such action be taken by the records management officer. No further notice to the city council or other city office shall be required. (c) Revision of retention periods shall be submitted for review to the city attorney in the same manner as the original retention periods. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91; Ord. No. 91-1076, § 10, 7-17-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-120 One-time destruction of records.

Sec. 2-120. - One-time destruction of records. Prior to the adoption of records control schedules for an office, a one-time destruction of accumulated obsolete records of that office may be made by or under the supervision of the records management officer if approved by the director and librarian pursuant to sections 203.044 through 203.045 of the Texas Local Government Code. Prior to such destruction the records management officer shall submit lists of records to be destroyed to the city attorney, who shall give notice within 30 working days of any records he believes should not be destroyed, and such records shall be retained for a period suggested by him. The records management officer shall also submit notice as required by law to the director and librarian. Obsolete records shall include those no longer created by the office or department and no longer needed for administrative, legal, fiscal, or other research purposes. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91; Ord. No. 91-1076, § 10, 7-17-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-121 Preservation of permanent records.

Sec. 2-121. - Preservation of permanent records. The records management officer shall develop procedures to ensure the permanent preservation of the historically valuable records of the city. In no circumstances shall the permanent records of the city be transferred to private individuals, to private historical societies or museums, or to private colleges or universities. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-122 Noncurrent records not to be maintained in office files.

Sec. 2-122. - Noncurrent records not to be maintained in office files. Records no longer required in the conduct of current business by any office or department of the city shall be promptly transferred to archives or be destroyed, at the time such action is designated on an approved records control schedule. Such records shall not be maintained in current office files or equipment. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-123 Confidentiality.

Sec. 2-123. - Confidentiality. Nothing in this division 5 shall be deemed to authorize the records management officer to inspect the contents of any record which is confidential or to which access is otherwise restricted by law. The confidentiality of such information shall be maintained in accordance with section 203.023(8) of the Texas Local Government Code. (Ord. No. 91-88, § 1, 1-16-91)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-124 Reserved.

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH2AD_ARTIVCIRE_DIV5MUREMAFetched: 10/26/2026