Each request for public records will be evaluated for a response using the following guidelines:
(a) Although no specific language is required to make a request, the requester must at least identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the Village to identify, retrieve and review the records. If it is not clear what records are being sought, the records custodian will contact the requester for clarification, and should assist the requester in revising the request by informing the requester of the manner in which the Village keeps its records.
(b) The requester does not have to put a records request in writing, and does not have to provide his or her identity or the intended use of the requested public record. It is the Village’s general policy that the Village will not inquire as to this information.
(c) Public records will be available for inspection during the Village’s regular business hours. Public records will be made available for inspection promptly. Copies of public records will be made available within a reasonable period of time. “Prompt” and “reasonable” take into account the volume of records requested, the proximity of the location where the records are stored, and the necessity for any legal review of the records requested.
(d) (1) Each request will be evaluated for an estimated length of time required to gather the records. Routine requests for records should be satisfied immediately if feasible to do so. Routine requests include, but are not limited to, meeting minutes, budgets, salary information, forms and applications, and personnel rosters, etc. If fewer than 20 pages of copies are requested or if the records are readily available in an electronic format that can be e-mailed or downloaded easily these should be made as quickly as the equipment allows.
(2) All requests for public records will either be satisfied (see subsection (d)(1)) or be acknowledged in writing by the Village within five business days following the Village’s receipt of the request. If a request is deemed significantly beyond “routine”, such as seeking a voluminous number of copies or requiring extensive research, the acknowledgement will include the following:
A. An estimated number of business days it will take to satisfy the request.
B. An estimated cost if copies are requested.
C. An identification of the items within the request that may be exempt from disclosure.
(e) Any denial of public records requested will include an explanation, including (if applicable) appropriate legal authority. If portions of a record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions will be redacted and the rest released. If there are redactions, the redactions will be accompanied by a supporting explanation, including any applicable legal authority.
(Ord. 2007-12-116. Passed 12-19-07.)