Records & Information Management
The primary purpose of the division is to provide uniform and consistent guidance for the management of all City records including existing paper and electronic records. This is accomplished through the development and maintenance of retention schedules that identify classifications of records and retention time periods based on legal, fiscal, administrative, operational and research requirements. The division is also responsible for the City's compliance with State law that relates to public access and privacy protection of paper and electronic records.
The division maintains the City Records Center, retrieves and re-files records upon department request and conducts destruction of records when retention time periods have expired. The division also maintains the historical collection of records in the City Archives.
See the City Records Management Policy.
City Records Center
Inactive records from City departments are stored in archive boxes in five floors of the City Hall Clock Tower. Approximately 14,000 boxes can be stored here. While many of these documents are public records, they can only be obtained via a request from the department that originally sent them to the Record Center for storage.
City Archives
Historic City documents are kept in the Archives, located above the Records Management Office. The following types of materials can be found here:
- City directories dating back to 1879: A comprehensive listing of residents and businesses in the City. The directories list occupations for many residents.
- Building and housing survey from 1933-34. The survey lists details including: when each house was built, general condition of the structure, and the owner and residents.
- Map collection
- Photographs
- City reports such as departmental annual reports.
Contacts
Records Management does not maintain birth, marriage, and death records, for those contact Hennepin County.
For police records, contact the Police Records Information Unit at (612) 673-2961.
For other records questions, e-mail: [email protected].
Last updated Jun 1, 2018
