Assistant City Clerk

City of Beaufort•City Hall - Beaufort, SC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general direction of the City Clerk, the Assistant City Clerk performs responsible administrative, technical, and specialized municipal clerical duties in support of the operations of the City Clerk's Office. The position assists with the administration and maintenance of official City records, City Council and municipal meeting functions, ordinances, resolutions, minutes, public notices, boards and commissions, records management, and other statutory and administrative responsibilities of the City Clerk's Office. A significant responsibility of this position is the administration and coordination of the City's public-records requests under the applicable South Carolina Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") and other applicable laws, regulations, and City policies. The Assistant City Clerk serves as a primary administrative contact for public-records requests, coordinates the identification and collection of responsive records, tracks requests and applicable deadlines, coordinates with City departments and personnel, assists with review and redaction of records, and coordinates the production and release of responsive records. The position requires a high degree of accuracy, organization, confidentiality, professionalism, discretion, and the ability to interpret and apply established laws, policies, procedures, and administrative requirements. The employee is expected to exercise independent judgment within established policies and procedures and to refer legal questions, complex exemption issues, disputed requests, and other matters requiring legal interpretation to the City Clerk, City Attorney, or other designated authorities. The Assistant City Clerk does not exercise supervisory responsibility over other employees.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Two (2) years of progressively responsible administrative, municipal, governmental, records management, legal, or related experience preferred.
Experience working with public records, records retention, FOIA/public-records requests, municipal government, or legal documents preferred.
Equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience may be considered.
Knowledge of municipal government organization, functions, and procedures.
Knowledge of principles and practices of municipal clerk administration.
Knowledge of South Carolina public-records and Freedom of Information Act requirements.
Knowledge of public meeting notice and posting requirements.
Knowledge of records management and records-retention principles.
Knowledge of official document preparation, filing, indexing, and retrieval.
Knowledge of City ordinances, resolutions, policies, procedures, and administrative practices.
Knowledge of basic governmental meeting procedures.
Knowledge of electronic records-management systems.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office and other commonly used governmental software.
Knowledge of professional customer-service practices.
Knowledge of confidentiality and appropriate handling of sensitive information.
Ability to learn the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act requirements, South Carolina Code Title 30, Chapter 4.
Ability to interpret and apply established laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and administrative requirements.
Ability to maintain accurate and complete official records.
Ability to process and track multiple public-records requests simultaneously.
Ability to meet statutory and administrative deadlines.
Ability to conduct and coordinate thorough searches for responsive records.
Ability to organize large volumes of electronic and paper records.
Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment within established policies and procedures.
Ability to recognize matters requiring referral to the City Clerk, City Attorney, or other appropriate authority.
Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in writing and verbally.
Ability to prepare accurate correspondence, reports, notices, minutes, and other official documents.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to deal effectively and professionally with elected officials, City employees, attorneys, governmental agencies, residents, businesses, and members of the public.
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments with minimal supervision.
Ability to work independently while maintaining effective communication with the City Clerk and other departments.
Ability to learn and effectively utilize new technology and records-management systems.
Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail under deadline pressure.
The employee must be able to sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, use standard office equipment, and perform computer-based work for extended periods.
The position requires sufficient visual and manual dexterity to operate computers and other office equipment and sufficient hearing and communication ability to interact effectively with others.
The employee may occasionally be required to lift, carry, or move files, records, boxes, or office materials weighing up to approximately 25-30 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Associate's degree in public administration, business administration, government, legal studies, records management, or a related field preferred.
Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, government, legal studies, records management, or a related field.
Previous experience in a municipal Clerk's Office.
Experience administering or coordinating public-records/FOIA requests.
Knowledge of South Carolina municipal government operations.
Experience with electronic records-management systems.
Experience preparing City Council agendas, minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public notices.
Certified Municipal Clerk designation or demonstrated progress toward certification.
Notary Public commission or ability to obtain one, if required by the City.

Responsibilities

Assists the City Clerk in the day-to-day administration and operation of the City Clerk's Office.
Provides administrative and technical support to the City Clerk and City Council.
Serves as a professional and courteous point of contact for residents, businesses, elected officials, City employees, governmental agencies, attorneys, and other members of the public.
Responds to inquiries and provides information concerning City records, meetings, ordinances, resolutions, policies, procedures, and other matters within the scope of the Clerk's Office.
Prepares correspondence, memoranda, reports, notices, forms, certificates, and other official documents.
Assists in maintaining records in accordance with applicable records-retention schedules and City policies.
Maintains confidentiality and exercises appropriate discretion concerning confidential, privileged, protected, or sensitive information.
Assists with the preparation, organization, and distribution of City Council meeting agendas and agenda packets.
Assists with preparation and posting of meeting notices and calendars in accordance with applicable law and City procedures.
Assists with preparation and maintenance of City Council minutes and other official meeting records.
Attends City Council meetings and other meetings as assigned or directed by the City Clerk or City Manager’s Office.
Assists with recording, organizing, and maintaining official actions taken by City Council.
Assists with preparation, processing, indexing, filing, and distribution of ordinances, resolutions, proclamations, agreements, contracts, and other official documents.
Maintains legislative histories and official records of City Council actions.
Assists with meeting room preparation and other logistical arrangements for City Council and municipal meetings.
Assists with meetings of boards, commissions, committees, and other governmental bodies as assigned.
Assists with ensuring that public meeting notices, agendas, calendars, minutes, and other required public information are posted, distributed, and maintained in accordance with applicable law and City procedures.
Fulfills the duties of the City Clerk in his/her absence.
Handles the receipt, processing, and necessary correspondence for records requests filed under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, utilizing an integrated software solution to ensure efficient and accurate responses.
Acknowledges requests and communicates with requesters regarding the status and processing of requests as appropriate.
Reviews requests to identify the records, departments, offices, officials, or employees that may possess responsive records.
Coordinates searches for responsive records with City departments, department heads, employees, elected officials, and other records custodians.
Establishes and maintains tracking systems to monitor outstanding requests, deadlines, responses, fees, and records productions.
Follows up with departments and records custodians to ensure timely responses to public records requests.
Collects, organizes, indexes, and prepares responsive records for review and production.
Reviews records for responsiveness and completeness.
Coordinates the identification and application of established statutory exemptions and required redactions, subject to review by the City Clerk, City Attorney, or other designated authority when appropriate.
Coordinates with the City Attorney regarding requests involving complex legal issues, exemptions, privileged materials, litigation, subpoenas, or other matters requiring legal review.
Prepares draft correspondence and responses to public-records requests for review and approval as appropriate.
Coordinates the electronic or physical production of responsive records.
Administers the calculating, documenting, and communicating applicable research, retrieval, copying, production, or other authorized fees.
Maintains documentation of searches, communications, determinations, redactions, fees, and productions associated with public-records requests.
Maintains an organized electronic and/or physical FOIA/public-records file for each request.
Monitors outstanding requests and communicates with appropriate City personnel regarding pending matters.
Prepares periodic reports concerning the City's public-records activity.
Helps to identifying frequently requested records and opportunities to improve public access to commonly requested information.
Assists with maintaining and updating the City's public records/FOIA procedures and forms.
Ensures training and informational efforts for City employees concerning public-records procedures and responsibilities.
Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion when handling records containing personal, confidential, privileged, protected, or otherwise restricted information.
Performs other public-records and FOIA-related duties as assigned