The Records Management and Preservation Board (RMPB) has awarded $317,858 in grant funds to 30 West Virginia county commissions for county records management and preservation projects through its County Records Management and Preservation Grants program. The board reviewed submissions and made its recommendations in January for projects to improve management, storage conditions, access, and preservation of public records held in several county offices. Following official letters announcing the successful grants, RMPB staff began conducting courthouse site visits to provide technical assistance in setting up the grant project, which officially begins with the new fiscal year July 1. Grant awards range from $3,477 to $26,000. A complete list of recipients is attached.
The RMPB, with its continuing interest in addressing records storage and management issues in the court houses, announced three grant criteria in its invitation to applicants last September. The three criteria were: conduct a total records inventory and condition assessment, and develop a master records management plan for county records; remove non-records and accumulations of records having reached or exceeded required retention periods; and provide proper and improved storage of and access to permanent records or records with required retention periods in excess of 25 years. The latter will include physical storage to provide proper shelving and/or archival records boxes (10"x12"x15"), and security/preservation microfilm, with a digital imaging combination for enhanced access.
Funding for the County Records Management and Preservation Program is from the filing fees collected by county clerks and deposited in the special Public Records and Preservation Revenue Account. The funds serve as an incentive to county officials to improve the management of their public records and conditions for their preservation. The RMPB was created by the West Virginia Legislature in 2000 to develop uniform county records management programs. Its primary focus is to establish guidelines and provide technical assistance to address the needs of the records of county governments through a uniform records management system, and to further encourage adoption of these goals through the county records grant program. In pursuit of these goals the RMPB authorized a statewide survey and report on the current state of county records, developed rules and a County Records Management Manual for county offices, and sponsored records management workshops for county officials and staffs. The next grant cycle and priorities will be announced September 1, for the fiscal year 2009-2010.
For more information about the Records Management and Preservation Board’s annual grant program or the work of the RMPB, contact Joseph N. Geiger, Jr., acting director of the West Virginia State Archives for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, by phone at (304) 558-0230, ext. 165, by e-mail at joe.geiger@wvculture.org, or by mail at Records Management and Preservation Board, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Building 9, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Information can be accessed electronically at www.wvculture.org/history/rmpb/rmbp.html.
RMPB Grant Recipients for fiscal year July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009
(Total $317,858 in grant funds represents minimum of 90 percent of total projects expenditures with counties to provide required match.)
Barbour County Commission, $10,000 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Circuit Clerk, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding the required retention period.
Berkeley County Commission, $5,000 for personnel costs to organize and inventory County Commission records and to provide a list of these records and their suggested retention periods for review by the Board.
Boone County Commission, $10,000 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the County Clerk, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Calhoun County Commission, $26,000 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Circuit Clerk, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Clay County Commission, $14,000 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Circuit Clerk, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Fayette County Commission, $3,600 to continue improvements to map records storage and shelving in the County Clerk’s office.
Grant County Commission, $3,477 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the County Clerk, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Hancock County Commission, $10,000 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Circuit and County Clerks’ offices, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Harrison County Commission, $10,000 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Circuit Clerk’s office, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Jackson County Commission, $10,000 for the County Commission to provide personnel to organize and inventory records, to purchase improved records storage and shelving for county government records, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Kanawha County Commission, $10,000 to provide improved records storage for all county government offices, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Lewis County Commission, $5,400 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Assessor’s office, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Lincoln County Commission, $5,000 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Logan County Commission, $5,000 to provide improved records storage for the Sheriff’s and County Clerk’s offices, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Marion County Commission, $5,850 to provide funding for conservation/restoration of permanent records and for improved records storage and shelving for the County Clerk’s office, and to implement the records and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicate and records exceeding the required retention period.
Mason County Commission, $9,609 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Mercer County Commission, $11,200 to acquire a microfilm reader/printer for the County Clerk’s map records room.
Mineral County Commission, $10,000 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Mingo County Commission, $13,000 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Morgan County Commission, $20,000 for improved records storage and shelving for the County Clerk’s office, and to implement the records and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicate and records exceeding the required retention period.
Nicholas County Commission, $13,000 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Preston County Commission, $20,757 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Circuit Clerk’s office, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
Putnam County Commission, $15,000 to provide funding for conservation/restoration of permanent County Clerk records and for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of these records.
Ritchie County Commission, $13,000 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Taylor County Commission, $3,852 to provide for preservation microfilm of permanent County Clerk records.
Tucker County Commission, $13,000 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Tyler County Commission, $4,613 to provide funding for conservation/restoration of Assessor records and to purchase a work table.
Wayne County Commission, $13,000 to provide for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of permanent County Clerk records.
Wetzel County Commission, $14,500 to provide funding for conservation/restoration of permanent County Clerk records and for preservation microfilming and digital conversion of these records.
Wyoming County Commission, $10,000 to provide improved records storage and shelving for the Circuit Clerk, and to implement the records retention and disposition schedule to improve preservation and access to permanent records and to remove duplicates and records exceeding required retention periods.
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