2.70.100 Response for request for public records.

(1)    Upon receipt of a request for disclosure of public records, the receiving county agency shall respond promptly. Within five (5) business days of receiving a public records request, the receiving agency shall respond by:

(a)    Providing the record; or

(b)    Providing a portion or an installment of the record pending completion of action on the request; or

(c)    Acknowledging that the office has received the request and providing a reasonable estimate of the time the office will require to respond to the request; or

(d)    Denying the public record request. Agency responses refusing in whole or in part the inspection of a public record shall include a statement of the specific exemption authorizing the withholding of the record or any part thereof.

(2)    Additional time for the office to respond to a request may be based upon the need to:

(a)    Clarify the intent of the request;

(b)    Locate and assemble the records requested;

(c)    Notify third parties or agencies affected by the request; or

(d)    Determine whether any of the information requested is exempt and that a denial should be made as to all or part of the request.

(3)    In acknowledging receipt of a public record request that is unclear, the office may ask the requester to clarify the type of information the requester is seeking. In doing so, the office must provide an estimated first response date regarding the portion of the request that is clear. If no portion of the request is clear, the request should be denied as not properly identifying a public record but offer to keep the request open for clarification. If the requester fails to clarify the request within thirty (30) days, the office shall notify the requestor in writing that no response to the request will be forthcoming. (Sec. 10 of Ord. 2007-07-09; amended by Sec. 6 of Ord. 2018-06-04)