The group that decides which of Hamilton County’s public records to keep and which to destroy will hold its first meeting in over a year Wednesday.
Multiple members of the county’s public records commission said that they did not expect to discuss any changes to the policies defining the length of time records are stored before destruction.
The Hamilton County Public Records Commission will consider disposing of documents from the county’s health department, department of education, emergency medical services, trustee, juvenile court clerk, election commission and accounting office Dec. 4, according to an agenda circulated among members of the committee. Documents slated for destruction in December include bank deposits, cash receipts, purchase orders, student transcripts and medical records. Some of the records stretch back decades.
All of those records are subject to Tennessee law setting out the length of time offices are required to retain types of records.
The timeline can shift with the substance of the record. Contracts must be stored for seven years or until the guarantees in the agreement expire. Medical records are to be retained for 10 years, in most cases, after a patient’s release or death.