Who we are

The City of Minneapolis maintains a vast amount of information. Every person working for the city is responsible for creating records and for maintaining, protecting, and ultimately disposing of this information in compliance with the city’s legal and business requirements.

The small but mighty records team makes this happen by maintaining the framework of policies and controls and by training and empowering staff. We are part of the City Clerk’s Office—the office that also oversees the legislative process and elections.

What we do

Records management can mean different things. Here, we focus on the following services:

1. Maintains records and information controls - The records team’s core role is to maintain the policies and other controls that guide how the city manages records and information. This includes a supporting variety of policies and foundation of the program—the City retention schedules, which identify classifications of records and retention time periods. It focuses on the governance of digital assets and information systems.
2. Supports City departments - Much of the team’s work focuses on helping city staff comply with records and information controls. We provide guidance, answer questions, develop training and resources, and assist staff in this work. The team’s small size means we rely on a network of staff in each city department that is tasked with supporting records work.
3. Operates records centers - Two records centers store more than 30,000 cubic feet of inactive records from City departments. Over the past several years, these centers have been updated, materials audited, and new software deployed. Planned projects include transitioning to barcode controlled inventory management and providing more access to the departmental stewards of the material.
4. Maintains the historic archives - The City archives house a variety of historic documents, such as: city directories, building and housing surveys, and a variety of City reports. The City archives program has received very limited attention. It is not currently open to the public. In recent years, we have partnered with the Hennepin County library and the State Archives to rehouse material of historic significance.

Challenges and the future

In the past, this team also supported the City’s public records requests. This work left little time to focus on the core records management functions. Today, we have a separate team that handles data requests, and we focus on records management.

Recent work includes:

• Moving physical records centers
• Advising department clean-up efforts as part of the move to the new Public Service Building.

Current priorities are:

• Modernizing the City's retention schedules
• Updating records policies and controls in line with ARMA best practices
• Supporting information-related projects, such as Office 365 governance.

The team has a solid base but there is work to do to modernize the program and prepare for the new ways records and information will be created and used. Records management is often unseen and unthanked but it is an critical aspect of a modern business. It will important to raise and maintain awareness of the program and its work.

Join the team

Our small team and developing program is a good opportunity for experienced people who enjoy collaborating build something. We sometimes work independently but must also work closely with colleagues on the team and in departments across the city. Project management skills are a must.

The program built on a series of initiatives and gives an opportunity to build on series of successes. Each team member has a huge impact and helps shape the direction we move. Are you a records management professional looking to for a chance to put your mark on a program? Consider joining us!