All requests to inspect or copy records or documents prepared, maintained or under the control of the Village shall be made in the following manner:
(A) All requests shall be in writing, shall state with reasonable particularity what records are to be inspected or copied, shall state whether the records are requested for a commercial purpose, and shall be signed by the person making the request. The request may be, but is not required to be, submitted on a form provided by the Village.
(B) The written request shall be submitted to the Village Clerk or to the Mayor. If neither the Village Clerk nor the Mayor is available, the request shall be submitted to any employee of the Village acting under the direction of the Village Clerk.
(C) The Village Clerk receiving the request shall date stamp the request and indicate the date by which a response to the request must be made.
(D) Each request for other than commercial purposes shall be granted or denied in writing within five (5) business days after its receipt by the Village, except as hereafter stated. The failure to grant or deny a request within five (5) business days shall operate as a denial, except as provided hereinbelow.
(E) The time limit set forth hereinabove may be extended for an additional five (5) business days by notice in writing to the person making the request of the five (5) business days extension. The notification shall state the reason(s) for the five (5) business day’s extension and contain a date certain on which the requested record(s) will be available. The failure to grant or deny a request within the additional five (5) business days shall operate as a denial. The person making the request and the Village may agree in writing to extend the time for compliance for a period to be determined by the parties. If the person making the request and the Village agree to extend the period for compliance, a failure by the Village to comply with any previous deadlines shall not be treated as a denial of the request for the records.
(F) Charges for copies of records and/or documents shall be imposed in accordance with the following:
(1) No fees shall be charged for the first fifty (50) pages of black and white, letter or legal sized copies requested.
(2) Fifteen Cents ($0.15) for one-sided page for each black and white, letter, legal sized or 11” x 17” copy requested.
(3) One Dollar ($1.00) for each certified copy requested.
(4) Ten Cents ($0.10) for each audio recording.
(G) It shall be the responsibility of the person making the request to pick up the requested documents at Village Hall. If the person making the request asks the Village to mail the documents, he or she shall provide the Village with his/her correct mailing address so as to efficiently process all requests. Copies of records requested to be mailed will be forwarded United States Certified Mail to the address provided. Pre-payment of Two Dollars Fifty Cents ($2.50) per ounce shall be required.
(H) When a person requests a copy of a record maintained in an electronic format, the Village shall furnish it in the electronic format specified by the person making the request, if feasible. If it is not feasible to furnish the public records in the specified electronic format, then the Village shall furnish it in the format in which it is maintained by the Village, or in paper format at the option of the person making the request.