1. If the Open Records Officer denies a request for access to a record, whether in whole or in part, a written response shall be sent and shall include the following:
A. A description of the record requested;
B. The specific reasons for denial, including a citation of supporting legal authority;
C. The name, title, business address, business telephone number and signature of the Open Records Officer on whose authority the denial is issued;
D. The date of the response/denial; and
E. The procedure for the requester to appeal a denial of access.
2. The Open Records Officer may deny a request for access to a record if the requester has made repeated requests for that same record and the repeated requests have placed an unreasonable burden on the township.
3. The Open Records Officer may deny a request for access to a record when timely access is not possible due to disaster, or when access may cause physical damage or irreparable harm to the record. To the extent possible, a record’s contents shall be made accessible even when the record is physically unavailable.
4. Information that is not subject to access and is redacted from a public record shall be deemed a denial.
5. If a written request for access to a record is denied or deemed denied, the requestor may file an appeal with the state’s Office of Open Records within 15 business days of the mailing date of the Open Records Officer’s response or deemed denial.
(Res. 2015-09, passed 3-9-2015)