Public Records Request

A public record refers to information that has been recorded and/or filed by a public agency. They are the product of the Freedom of Information Act (or FOIA) that was passed in the United States in 1966 with the intention of providing transparency to the American people regarding anything touched by a government worker or tax dollar at any level of government.

Yes, an agency can charge for its costs in “gathering” and “copying” requested documents. The agency must give the requestor an estimate of the agency charges and is not obliged to gather or copy the document.

The City of Point Russell guarantees public access to all “public information” except information related to “individual or public safety or the security of public facilities, including public schools, jails, correctional facilities, private correctional facilities, and prisons, if release of the information jeopardizes the safety of facility personnel, the public, students in a public school, or inmates of a facility.”

The City of Point Russell standards requires the agency to “respond in a timely manner.” The agency must make the record available for examination and copying or provide the requestor with an estimate of the time and charges for accessing the information if it cannot be “readily identified and gathered.”