HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.F.7. Recognition of Scanned Documents as Offical Format F. 7
City of Shakopee
Memorandum CONSENT
TO: Mayor & City Council
Mark McNeill, City Administrator
FROM: Julie Linnihan, Finance Director /City Clerk
SUBJECT: Recognizing our scanned documents as our original documents /training staff in
retrieving and searching capabilities of Laserfiche
DATE: June 5, 2012
Introduction
The City Council is being asked to acknowledge that the permanent documents that have been
scanned into Laserfiche are the original documents of the city, which will allow staff to dispose
of the paper copies currently maintained in storage. A motion approving such action is
requested. Staff will also offer training to new staff and current staff on the retrieval and
searching capabilities in Laserfiche.
Background
The state's regulations for digital storage of city records require the city to maintain them in a
non - proprietary system and an accepted standard format such as Tag Image File Format (TIFF)
so that we can meet any future migration or conversion issues that may arise for the life of a
record. Laserfiche has met those requirements from the beginning of Council's approval in April
2005 as the digital imaging system and repository of permanent records of the city.
Since that time agenda packets, building files, financial records, etc. have been stored in a
digital format in the Laserfiche Repository with the paper documents labeled, boxed and stored
in city vaults. After a 2 year testing period of the system the City began to shred only the
building department documents and any that had reached their retention limit, storing the
other records in the two city hall vaults.
The SAN (Storage Area Network), purchased in 2011 provides the City with the duplicate or
redundant systems of data retention providing a "mirror" copy of the information that is
currently in Laserfiche located at the Police Department site. The secondary SAN site is housed
at the recently constructed Fire Station. This site provides the City with generator backup
capabilities and construction that is able to provide a higher level of protection than older
facilities, in the event of severe weather or facility damage. This duplication of information is a
critical component of ensuring that the City has the ability to retrieve and maintain records that
are currently in "hard copy" format.
This approval from council would allow staff to eliminate the procedures that are required to
box and label documents currently scanned and stored in Laserfiche. This practice will reduce
the city's need for more storage space and the cost of staff time and supplies to maintain
multiple copies of documents. It would also help staff to rely more on the Laserfiche system to
research and retrieve specific documents, rather than contacting the administrative support
staff to track down data.
Taking this change into account, staff will offer two training sessions to City staff on retrieval
searching capabilities of Laserfiche to help with this change in procedure. These will be offered
in the upcoming weeks.
Recommendation
City Council is asked to acknowledge that all permanent records scanned are considered
original permanent records of the city and authorize staff to dispose of boxed copies of said
records. A motion approving such action is recommended. This will be followed by additional
training to city staff on the retrieval and searching capabilities of Laserfiche.