1. To file an appeal under the Right-to-Know Law, a citizen must provide the following:
A. A copy of the right to know request;
B. A copy of the township’s response (or a written statement that the request was deemed denied meaning the township did not respond at all);
C. State the grounds they assert this is a public record; and
D. Address any grounds for denial stated by the township.
2. All appeals must be made in writing and may be submitted using the appeals forms found on the Office of Open Records website. The appeal must be submitted to the Office of Open Records. Appeals should be sent to the Office of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North St., 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225. They may also be submitted via facsimile to 717-425-5343 or via email to openrecords@pa.gov as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment.
3. The requestor must provide all of the information necessary to file an appeal within 15 business days from the date that the township mailed the denial letter or the date that the request was “deemed denied” or the appeal will be untimely under the law, unable to be processed, and subject to dismissal. When the township does not respond in writing within five business days of the requestor’s written right to know request (or within the time frame of any permissible extension), the request is “deemed denied”. If the township did not respond, this should be indicted to the Office of Open Records.
4. Requestors are encouraged to contact the Office of Open Records in the event that a requestor has any questions relative to the appeal process.
(Res. 2015-09, passed 3-9-2015)