Administrative Regulation 16.23

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 16.23 DATE APPROVED: January 12, 2016
SUBJECT: Disposal of Computer Equipment and Software Media ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Systems Management

POLICY:

It is the intent of the Board of County Commissioners to establish procedures to dispose of broken or obsolete equipment and software that has no useful value or purpose within the organization. 

PROCEDURE FOR DISPOSING OF HARDWARE AND EQUIPMENT:

  1. The Office of Systems Management maintains a list of hardware that has reached the end of its useful life and has been replaced.
  2. All equipment must be transferred to Systems Management for disposal, regardless of its funding source. If an item has been assigned an Asset number by the Clerk of Courts then it shall be removed from the Asset Listing by way of an Agenda item for the Board of County Commissioners. Once removed from the County’s Asset list procedures for the physical removal of the item shall be the same for any other non-asset items.
  3. Any technology item identified as broken or obsolete shall be retired, all hard drives erased, and disposed per established County policy. Retired equipment will not be reassigned or reused without the approval of the Director of Systems Management. If approved, the custodial Division is required to pay all licenses and maintenance on software which will be installed prior to the unit being returned to service. If the Custodial Division is unable to pay these expenses immediately the machine will be processed for deletion or reassignment. If an obsolete unit is returned to active service Systems Management will not repair or maintain the unit. The Custodial Division uses it at its own risk.
  4. If so requested in writing, some equipment may be donated to a Bona Fide Non-Profit Organization (submitting proof of same in writing). There is a maximum donation limit of 20 computers and/or printers per organization per fiscal year. Systems Management is under no obligation to deliver, assist loading, install software or operating system, or in any way configure equipment or offer any warranty or support. All donations are where is, as is without exception.
  5. Any items not donated and judged to have a potential salvage value will be placed up for auction per the established procedures in place at the time. Systems Management will not conduct nor control any auctions nor will any employee of the BOCC be eligible to bid on or end up in possession of any auctioned items. 
  6. In the event item(s) went unsold in a Public auction, the Director of Systems Management shall have the discretion to dispose of the item(s) either via Solid Waste Management or a local recycling company, whichever is less expensive and most efficient. In either case, the items will be picked up at Systems Management, and a detailed list of the items provided will be signed and custody transferred when picked up. The item list will include the description, serial number, Systems bar code, and Asset Number if applicable. The party accepting custody shall mark off each item as it is removed from the premises and retain a copy of same for their records. Two Systems employees will witness the transfer of custody and sign the custody form. If disposal is intended for Solid Waste Management, then a neutral Division or section within the County shall transport the items to the landfill and likewise have the Solid Waste facility accept and acknowledge receipt of the items. Under no circumstances will Systems staff be allowed to move equipment off County premises.
  7. Once custody of the item(s) has been completed, the System staff will update the database to reflect the change of status and the date of transfer for each item. 
PROCEDURE FOR DISPOSING OF SOFTWARE AND RELATED MEDIA:

  1. Software will be upgraded and over time the original system, packaging, and media will be replaced and become useless. In some cases the hardware hosting the software becomes obsolete.
  2. In the event the host computer is replaced, all software will be removed from the original host and transferred to the new machine. The old machine will be erased and processed for disposal as detailed above. 
  3. If the work product or data produced by the original software can only be accessed by using the original software, one copy of the media and manual(s) must be retained until such time as the Public Records value of the work / data product has expired. Once the record value expires and the records destroyed, the software can be disposed as outlined below.
  4. All software eligible for destruction must have the original media and any copies destroyed so it cannot be re-installed. If the software is licensed and/or serialized a photograph of the original box and destroyed media shall be entered into the current Records Management Data base showing the serial number and damaged media so there is proof the media was destroyed.
  5. A list of the software and serial numbers shall be made, and custody transferred to a neutral Division or Section of the County to finalize disposal. The person(s) taking custody of the materials shall sign the list to show transfer of custody and they shall transport it to Solid Waste Management for disposal.

FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES TO RELATED TO AR’s: