Friends Support CM Todd Archives Commission Bill with CM Grosso Changes

For Release: December 7, 2018

Contact: Bill Rice

Friends Support CM Todd Archives Commission Bill with CM Grosso Changes

The Friends of the DC Archives are urging the DC Council to pass the bill introduced by Councilmember Brandon Todd (Dem. Ward 4) to establish a high-level commission on the DC Government’s archives and record management (Bill 22-842 District Historical Records Advisory Board Amendment Act of 2018)–with the changes Councilmember David Grosso (Ind. At-large) is proposing.

Bill 22-842 is coming up for second reading on Tuesday, Dec 11 and CM Grosso is planning to ask that the bill be amended to include:

–the specific charge for the commission to examine all District records & archives (i.e., the courts, the council, the independent agencies, etc.), in addition to the archives and records of the executive branch, and

–be amended for the Council to make commission appointments, in addition to mayoral appointments, with all confirmed by the Council.

“This commission is key to the successful planning, building and putting into operation the much-anticipated new DC Archives facility,” said Fynnette Eaton, head of the FDCA.  “As we said in our testimony for Bill 22-842 before the Committee on Government Operations, if we want to determine what happened at the recent Arthur Capper fire we need access to every type of record from all parts of the government.  This includes paper and electronic record, audiovisual materials and architectural and engineering drawings.  This is why we need the all-embracing study and report from this commission.”

FDCA is an organization of professional archivists and others advocating for: 1) a new, state-of-the-art DC Archives; 2) more staff and better facilities at the current Naylor Court Archives; and, 3) a comprehensive DC Government records management policy.