Capital Area Archivists of New York

Whereas, the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) was created in 1989 to provide technical assistance and grants to establish, improve, or enhance records management programs in New York's more than 4300 local governments, and

Whereas, the closely related Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) for grants and technical assistance to non-governmental historical records repositories also is supported by the LGRMIF, and

Whereas, a sunset date for the LGRMIF was established in the original legislation to permit its operation as a five-year experiment, and

Whereas, the New York State Legislature twice has extended the sunset date, most recently to December 31, 2005, and

Whereas, the LGRMIF has effectively supported essential advisory services and 6,300 grants totaling over $113 million to improve the management of records for over half of all NYS local governments, and

Whereas, the LGRMIF and the programs it supports continue to operate at a high standard of excellence and provide direct and significant benefit to local governments at no cost to the taxpayers, and

Whereas, through the LGRMIF, the DHP has supported advisory services and awarded 300 grants totaling $1.7 million to historical societies and other community organizations throughout New York State, and

Whereas, the State Legislature created the closely-related Cultural Education Fund (CEF) to support the New York State Archives, New York State Library and New York State Museum on behalf of all New Yorkers, and the Office for Public Broadcasting, and provided the CEF with an identical sunset date, and

Whereas, the LGRMIF and the CEF continue to be critically important to the cultural and scientific needs of the people of New York State, therefore

Be it resolved that the Capital Area Archivist of New York supports the elimination of said sunset provisions in order to make the LGRMIF and the CEF permanent.

Approved March 31, 2004

Amy Schindler, President
On behalf of Capital Area Archivists

cc: Hon. George E. Pataki
     Hon. Neil D. Breslin
     Hon. Joseph L. Bruno
     Hon. Mark W. Butler
     Hon. Ronald Canestrari
     Hon. Pat M. Casale
     Hon. Hugh T. Farley
     Hon. Daniel L. Hooker
     Hon. Elizabeth Little
     Hon. Roy J. McDonald
     Hon. John J. McEneny
     Hon. Robert G. Prentiss
     Hon. James L. Seward
     Hon. Sheldon Silver
     Hon. James N. Tedisco
     Hon. Paul D. Tonko

Page updated April 5, 2004

Resolution of Support for the Elimination of the Sunset Provisions of the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) and the Cultural Education Fund (CEF)