If by reason of conflagration or other public calamity any index to any public records of a county is lost or destroyed, leaving the records without the necessary index for the convenience of the public in making use of the records, the board of supervisors may cause a new index of the records to be made by some competent person. The cost of writing up and making the new index is a county charge payable out of the county treasury upon the order of the board.

The board may authorize at any time the destruction or disposition of any duplicate record, paper, or document, the original or a permanent photographic reproduction of which is in the files of any officer or department of the county.

The board may authorize at any time the destruction or disposition of any duplicate or copy of a notice to appear in court, or promise to appear in court, that is filed with any officer or department of the county, 12 months after the original of such notice or promise has been filed with the magistrate or a person authorized by the magistrate to receive a deposit of bail specified therein.

The board may authorize the destruction or disposition of any record, paper, or document which is more than two years old and which was prepared or received in any manner other than pursuant to a state statute or county charter. The board may authorize the destruction or disposition of any record, paper or document which is more than two years old, which was prepared or received pursuant to state statute or county charter, and which is not expressly required by law to be filed and preserved if the board determines by four-fifths (4/5) vote that the retention of any such record, paper or document is no longer necessary or required for county purposes. Such records, papers or documents need not be photographed, reproduced or microfilmed prior to destruction and no copy thereof need be retained.

The board may authorize the destruction or disposition of any unaccepted bid or proposal for the construction or installation of any building, structure, bridge, or highway or other public works which is more than two years old.

The board may authorize the destruction of any record, paper or document, by a four-fifths vote, if the documents have been inadvertently exposed to asbestos fiber in a quantity which presents a risk to the health and safety of persons who handle the record, paper or document, and if the board determines that the risk to these persons is greater than the benefit to be derived from the retention of the record or, alternatively, that the cost of sterilizing the records far exceeds their value. The decision of the board shall be final.

county and all radio communications relating to the operations of the departments.

In years other than those in which a census is taken by the United States, the board of supervisors by ordinance may cause a census of the county or any district therein to be taken which shall be validated by the Demographic Research Unit of the Department of Finance. The board of supervisors shall cause a census of a judicial district to be taken upon presentation to it of a petition signed by not less than 40 percent of the qualified electors residing in the district whose names appear upon the great register of the county at the last general election. The persons taking the census shall enumerate all the inhabitants of the county or district. The census shall be validated by the Demographic Research Unit. The expenses of taking that census is a county charge.

At the request of the county officer concerned, the board of supervisors of any county may authorize the destruction of any record, paper, or document that is not expressly required by law to be filed and preserved if all of the following conditions are complied with:

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, destruction of the original records, papers, or documents is not authorized when the method of reproduction pursuant to this section is reproduction of electronically recorded video images on magnetic surfaces unless a duplicate videotape of the images is separately maintained. A duplicate copy of a record contained in the electronic data processing system, on optical disk, or on any other medium that does not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document images shall also be separately maintained.

For the purposes of this section, every reproduction shall be deemed to be an original record and a transcript, exemplification, or certified copy of any reproduction shall be deemed to be a transcript, exemplification, or certified copy, as the case may be, of the original.

At the request of the county recorder, the board of supervisors of any county may authorize the destruction of any or all of the filed papers or record books created by handwriting, typing on printed forms, by typewriting, or by photographic methods, in the recorder’s official custody, if all of the following conditions are complied with:

However, no page of any record, paper, or document shall be destroyed if any page cannot be reproduced on film with full legibility. Every unreproducible page shall be permanently preserved in a manner that will afford easy reference.

For the purposes of this section, every reproduction shall be deemed to be an original record and a transcript, exemplification, or certified copy of any reproduction shall be deemed to be a transcript, exemplification, or certified copy, as the case may be, of the original.

Recognizing that certain early created handwritten records of the county recorder may be of historical value, the recorder shall, prior to destroying any of his handwritten records under the authority granted in Section 26205.5, notify the Secretary of State of his intention to destroy or dispose of such records. The Secretary of State shall have 90 days to request the transfer of such records. If the Secretary of State does not request the transfer of such records, the county recorder may destroy them pursuant to Section 26205.5.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the destruction of attorney-client information or county records, at the request of the public defender, the board of supervisors may authorize the destruction of nonfelony public defender records eight years after final disposition of a case.

The board of supervisors of any county may prepare, procure and present commemorative medals, resolutions, plaques, or other memorials honoring persons who have performed unique or particularly noteworthy public service or commemorating acts, accomplishments, events, or anniversaries of public significance and importance. Any such award presented under the authority of this section shall be of nominal value and cost.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 26202, the legislative body of a county may prescribe a procedure whereby duplicates of county records less than two years old may be destroyed if they are no longer required.

For purposes of this section, video recording media, including recordings of “routine video monitoring” pursuant to Section 26202.6, shall be considered duplicate records if the county keeps another record, such as written minutes or an audio recording, of the event that is recorded in the video medium. However, a video recording medium shall not be destroyed or erased pursuant to this section for a period of at least 90 days after occurrence of the event recorded thereon.

with respect to storage capacity that is both economically and technologically feasible at that time.

The board of supervisors may offer and pay rewards, payable from county funds, for the furnishing of information leading to the apprehension and conviction of persons who willfully destroy or damage property of the county or who commit within the county criminal acts against the person or residence of a public officer or employee.

The board of supervisors may establish a uniform procedure for the payment of rewards, payable from county funds, for ideas or suggestions made by members of the public which the board determines, in its discretion, would reasonably result in financial savings to the county.

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Humboldt may establish a uniform procedure for the payment of rewards, payable from county funds, for ideas or suggestions made by county employees or members of the public which the board determines, in its discretion, would reasonably result in financial savings to the county.