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The State of Michigan Records Management Services is presenting free 3-hour workshops that will provide an introduction and overview of records management responsibilities of local governments.  Information about the workshops is available here.

Workshop Schedule:

April 1, 2008 -- Lansing 1-4 p.m.

May 20, 2008 -- Detroit 1-4 p.m.

August 21, 2008 -- Escanaba 1-4 p.m.

Disposition of Public Records

General Schedules for Local Government*
General Schedule No. 10 Township Record Retention
General Schedule No. 1 Non-Record Materials Defined

General Schedule No. 23 Election Records

A Primer for Township Records Management (.pdf)
Michigan Township News, July 2002
State of Michigan Resources for Records Management
State of Michigan Electronic Mail Retention Guidelines

Public records of a township are also the property of the state and can only be disposed of or destroyed in compliance with Michigan law.

The state has adopted “schedules,” or lists, of common records that identify when certain public records may be disposed of or destroyed. These record retention schedules have been adopted for various governmental units and public agencies.

*NOTE: As of April 1, 2008, several sections of the General Schedule No. 10 have been revised and adopted as separate general schedules based on program areas, such as law enforcement, fire/ambulance departments, libraries and elections. General Schedule No. is superseded and no longer applies in these areas. A township clerk's schedule is pending, and once the remaining sections of General Schedule No. 10 are revised, Schedule No. 10 will no longer apply. Check the list of general schedules to determine which schedule applies.

The General Schedule No. 10, Michigan Township Record Retention, approved July 1, 1997, by the State Archives and State Administrative Board, is the official record retention schedule for townships*. Although a township could create its own “special” record retention schedule, it would have to obtain state approval to use it. Because the General Schedule No. 10 was adopted as the schedule of record for all townships, townships do not need to take any action to adopt it or have it approved by the state before using it.

Records listed on the General Schedule No. 10 may be disposed of or destroyed after the retention period listed on the schedule. If a record is not listed on the schedule, it cannot be disposed of or destroyed and must be retained permanently, unless permission is obtained from the State Archives and State Administrative Board. Some records listed on the schedule also have a permanent retention period, but they are listed simply as a reminder to keep them permanently.

Where a law requires a retention period, it is cited in the schedule. But it’s not always a law that establishes the retention period. For example, many records should be retained for a period in which the township or individuals connected to the records may have some legal liability. In addition, a township should comply with the retention periods to help ensure Freedom of Information Act compliance. For these reasons, it is important to not only retain township records, but also to organize and maintain them in a system, location and format that allows for easy and timely access to them.

Some documents are defined as “non-record materials,” and do not need to be retained permanently or for a specific period. General Schedule No. 1, Non-Record Materials, describes types of non-record materials such as duplicates or copies of records, outdated publications, preliminary drafts or notes that do not represent significant basic steps in the preparation of public records.

As the township official with the responsibility for “the safekeeping of the records, books and papers of the township in the manner required by law,” a township clerk has a duty to see that township records are retained as long as the law requires. However, it is important for all township officials with recordkeeping responsibility to be aware of the retention periods.