Title
Information Technologies Department recommending the Board approve and establish Board Policy A-21 - Electronic Messaging Retention Policy.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Electronic mail (email) and Instant Messaging (IM) have become ubiquitous services to greatly enhance communication, both internally and with various external individuals, entities and organizations involved with the County. El Dorado County has grown to rely upon electronic methods of communication for many years, and due to the lack of an approved Email Retention Policy, the size of storage has grown and will continue to increase exponentially.
The County is currently transitioning from Google workspace to Microsoft M365, and upon Board approval, the county will implement the Electronic Messaging Retention Policy, necessitating the migration of only ten years of data. Upon implementation of the Microsoft productivity suite, the County will leverage the Microsoft tools to orchestrate the proper retention of electronic messages and develop new practices and procedures to support our County’s retention schedules and the California Public Records Act per Government Code 6250-6268.
This policy establishes the default retention periods for email and Instant Messages retained on the County email system and addresses the management of Litigation holds. A litigation hold directive overrides the Electronic Messaging Retention Policy, as well as any other records retention schedules that may have otherwise called for the transfer, disposal, or destruction of relevant documents, until the hold has been cleared.
The Electronic Messaging Retention Policy applies to:
1. All email and Instant Messages managed by the County of El Dorado County Information Technologies Department.
2. All users and account holders of County email and IM accounts, with exception to the Sheriff and the District Attorney, which maintain their own messaging systems.
3. All email and Instant Messaging sent or received using County email and Instant Messaging systems maintained by the Information Technologies Department.
Draft Policy A-21 has been previously reviewed and approved by the Information Technology Steering Committee and County Counsel.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could disprove or request changes to Policy A-21 - Electronic Messaging Retention Policy.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
The policy was distributed to all departments for input and discussed at the Information Technology Steering Committee. County Counsel reviewed and approved the policy.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Update the Board Policy Manual to include Policy A-21.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance
CONTACT
Tonya Digiorno, Director of Information Technologies