[MassHistPres] Historic Districts - records retention

[Harry LaCortiglia]

The State has requirements for records retention that must be followed 
by the Commission as well as the Town Clerk.

You might find pg 85 and beyond of this document helpful.

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcpdf/Municipal_Retention_Schedule_20200406.pdf 
<https://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcpdf/Municipal_Retention_Schedule_20200406.pdf>

Best,

H. LaCortiglia


On 9/21/2021 3:15 PM, Amy D. Finstein wrote:
> I would inquire with the city's legal counsel as to the legality of 
> this from a record-keeping perspective and as relates to maintaining 
> records of approved changes, etc.
> It seems to me that the Commission cannot fulfill its duty of 
> stewardship and oversight if it no longer has records of past 
> approvals/denials/similar to guide future deliberations.
>
> Digitization might be a good solution if there is infrastructure for 
> digital record-keeping. But I would be loath to get rid of that level 
> of institutional records.
>
> All best,
> Amy Finstein
> HDC Chair, Framingham
>
> On Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 2:42 PM Betty Slade <dcolebslade at aol.com 
> <mailto:dcolebslade at aol.com>> wrote:
>
>     If it is a space issue and is legal to dispose of them then how
>     about scanning the pages and keeping copies for the Commission and
>     the town clerk.
>     Betty Slade
>     Westport
>     CPC chair
>     In a message dated 9/21/2021 9:21:11 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>     jworden at swwalaw.com <mailto:jworden at swwalaw.com> writes:
>
>         This is an inquiry to historic district commissioners.  Under
>         Ch. 40C, certificates of appropriateness, non-applicability,
>         and hardship, as well as denials, are to be filed with the
>         city or town clerk – the only official custodian of record for
>         actions of the commission. In Arlington we have been filing
>         these oddments with the  town clerk ever since the  first
>         district was established in 1977.  In recent years, this might
>         have resulted in ~50 pages per year.
>
>         Our new town clerk (who seems to want to change everything)
>         proposes to dispose of all certificate more than two years
>         old.  We are not happy about such a policy.  What is the
>         policy in your city or town?
>
>         Thank you,
>
>         John Worden, Arlington Historic Districts
>
>         /John L. Worden III, Esq./
>
>         /27 Jason Street/
>
>         /Arlington, Massachusetts 02476/
>
>         //
>
>         /(617) 957-9195 - mobile/
>
>         /(617 227-1961 -  fax/
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