Open Records

Open Records Policy

All city records, except those to which a specific exemption applies, shall be open for a personal inspection by any citizen. As used in the Open Records Law, the term public record means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, computer based or generated information, or similar material prepared and maintained or received in the course of operation of a public office or agency.

All open records requests shall be submitted to the City Clerk. The request shall state whether the requestor wishes to inspect and/or obtain photocopies of the requested records. The City Clerk will determine whether the City has documents that are responsive to the request, and if the documents fall within any of the exceptions to the Open Records Act.

Within three (3) business days of receiving the request, the City must notify the requestor whether the requested documents are public documents subject to disclosure, and to permit inspection and copying. If documents are not available within three business days, the clerk will provide an estimate of when the documents can be made available.

All inspection, extraction and copying of public records, instruments and documents shall only be done under the supervision of the lawful custodian of the record or his/her designated assistant.

Fees

The requestor will be charged $0.10 for each page photocopied and may be charged an additional fee for certified copies or for other copies for which a fee is specifically authorized, or otherwise provided by law.

In addition to copying fees, a reasonable hourly charge will be collected for search, retrieval and other direct administrative costs for complying with a request. The hourly charge will not exceed the salary of the lowest paid full-time employee who, in the discretion of the custodian of the records, has the necessary skill and training to perform the request. However, there is no charge for the first quarter hour. The requestor may be provided with a written estimate of the fee.

Request City Records

 To request a copy of open records, send the Open Records Request Form to the City Clerk at openrecords@richmondhill-ga.gov..