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Records Management Officer

The records management officer administers the records management and archives program; advises the records management policy committee on program policies; inspects city records; ascertains the city's compliance with recordkeeping requirements established by state law, city charter and city code; prepares records retention and disposition schedules; provides and facilitates access to public information under the Texas Public Information (Open Records) Act; and operates the Dallas Municipal Archives and Records Center (DMARC).

Lois Dillard, CRM, is the records management officer of the City of Dallas. If you have questions related to the above issues, please call her at (214) 670-3743.

Records Management Policy Committee

The records management policy committee establishes records management program policies for the city and consists of the city attorney, city auditor, city manager, and city secretary.

Records Management Program Ordinance, revised Sept. 24, 1997

City of Dallas Records Center

The City of Dallas Records Center serves as the city's centralized repository for noncurrent records. The Records Center houses approximately 100,000 cubic feet of noncurrent records from all City departments.

Dallas Municipal Archives

The Dallas Municipal Archives serves as the city's repository for permanently valuable and historical records of city government. The Archives contains over 5,000 cubic feet of material, including the Dallas Police Department John F. Kennedy Assassination Records; Police records related to Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow and Raymond Hamilton; Dallas City Council Minutes and Ordinances dating from 1868; Dallas City Charters, 1871-current; City Code, 1911-current; Annual Reports, 1888-current; several Park and Recreation historical collections; Budgets, 1916-current, incomplete; and other collections.

The City Archivist John Slate maintains the Dallas Municipal Archives. Please call the City Archivist at (214) 670-5270 if you have questions about the City's archival collections or would like coordinate a research appointment.

John F. Kennedy Collection

In 1989 the Dallas Police Department transferred to the Dallas Municipal Archives the majority of police records relating to the assassination. These records have been available to researchers since the transfer. The collection contains 11,406 documents and photographs, including homicide reports, affidavits, witness statements, newspaper clippings and correspondence. The JFK collection of Police files is available on this web site.

Researchers' Finding Guides

The city archivist creates researcher finding guides for fully processed archival collections. These guides provide researchers with collection historical or background information, content descriptions and arrangement notations, in addition to the container listing. Look for more of these on this web site in the future.

Finding Guides Online:

History of City Officers and City Seal

Mayor
City Manager
City Secretary
City Auditor
City Attorney
City Seal

Suggested additional resources:

The Handbook of Texas Online is a joint project of The General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association.

Texas Public Information Act (formerly Open Records Act)

The Texas Public Information Act (Texas Open Records Act), Chapter 552, Texas Government Code, establishes requirements for governmental bodies to respond to written requests for access and/or reproductions of public information. Charges for reproductions are governed by the State of Texas General Services Commission rules on charges. Many requests can be answered by the City without a written request.

Public Information (Open Records) Act Summary, by the Texas Attorney General

Rules for Charges for Access to Open Records, by the Texas General Services Commission

Information Requests to the City

Written Requests

You may be asked to make your request in writing if you ask for access and/or reproductions of records that:

Require the City to provide you with a cost estimate;

Include confidential information;

Are voluminous; or

Require clarification so that the City may make a response.

Where to Submit a Request

E-mail: openrecords@dallascityhall.com Click on the link and describe in the email the information you want from the City and your request will be processed when the Open Records Project Manager receives your email.

Fax: 214-670-0160, Attn: Open Records Project Manager

Mail To:

Dallas City Hall
Public Information Office
Attn. Open Records Project Manager
1500 Marilla, 4ES.
Dallas, Texas 75201

In Person: Come to the Public Information Office at City Hall and submit your request to the Open Records Project Manager.

Dallas City Hall
Public Information Office
Attn. Open Records Project Manager
1500 Marilla, 4ES.
Dallas, Texas 75201

The Police Department has a special division for responding to their open records requests at (214) 671-3342 and 671-3343.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Eboni Mitchell, 214-671-8570

Dallas City Council meeting minutes are prepared under the authority of the City Secretary, Deborah Watkins © City of Dallas, 2005 1500 Marilla Street Dallas, TX 75201 www.dallascityhall.com All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer