(a) Except as may be provided otherwise by State law, the Codified Ordinances or other ordinance or resolution of Council to safeguard the security of license tax returns, personnel records and other confidential information, all records, books, maps, documents and other papers which are maintained on file in any City office shall be open for inspection and use by citizens of the City and others having an interest therein during all regular business hours, but none shall be removed from the office of its custodian.
(b) No person shall, without proper authority as provided in subsection (a) hereof, remove from the office of its custodian any record, book, map, document or other paper which is maintained on file in any City office, nor shall any person fail to return any such item to its proper custodian within the time set by the custodian for its return.
(c) No person shall willfully destroy, obliterate, secrete, deface, mark upon, disturb the arrangement of, damage or otherwise tamper with any record, book, map, document or other paper which is maintained on file in any City office. (1976 Code Sec. 2-10)