911 enterprise to adopt three-year baseline for grant and financial records, vote set for April

The 9-1-1 Services Enterprise board on March 4 agreed on a three-year baseline retention period for grant case files and most financial records and will return in April to vote on a finalized document-retention policy.

Kirsten, the staff member who reviewed state guidance, told the board the usual recommendation is “3 years,” with withdrawn or unsuccessful grant applications retained for two years. Chair Michael and other members discussed whether that three-year baseline should apply to periodic project reports and other routine financial reporting; the board considered separating “financial records” and “grant records” into distinct policy lines for clarity even if both carry the same retention period.

Members also reviewed practical details for record access. The board confirmed a department-controlled shared drive will hold archived material and that board members can have view-only access; several members asked that the policy explicitly note view-only status for board access. The policy draft uses a custodian-of-record provision that places responsibility on the board chair to ensure preservation and to transfer access to a successor or, if no successor is named, to the vice chair.

The board asked staff to clarify when retention periods begin. Kirsten said the three-year clock generally runs from the grant end date; for withdrawn applications the retention period starts on withdrawal and for other documents from the date of the document. Michael said he would circulate a revised draft: “I’ll send this final copy to you,” he told Kirsten, asking her to review and distribute it to the board before an April vote.

Next steps: staff will refine the draft retention table (distinguishing financial vs. grant files where helpful) and return the document for a formal board vote at the April meeting on April 1 at 3 p.m.