Chapter 3.15
ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS

Sections:

3.15.010    Findings.

3.15.020    Procedural information.

3.15.030    Public records management and disclosure steering team.

3.15.040    Public records management and disclosure coordinating team.

3.15.050    Categories of requests.

3.15.060    Standard time periods for response.

3.15.070    City employee responsibilities.

3.15.080    Public records performance report.

3.15.010 Findings.

(a)    Local government agency duties and responsibilities for the proper management and disclosure of public records are defined in Chapter 42.56 RCW, the Public Records Act (“Act”), and Chapter 40.14 RCW, Preservation and Destruction of Public Records (“preservation statute”).

(b)    Managing public records and responding to disclosure requests are two of the city’s essential functions and the responsibility of every city employee as provided for herein.

(c)    Similar to the city’s other essential functions, the staffing, and resources the city can devote to managing public records and responding to disclosure requests is necessarily limited.

(d)    In order to avoid excessive interference with other essential functions of the city, the city establishes, and periodically reviews, the appropriate level of effort and resources to be devoted to managing public records and responding to disclosure requests.

(e)    The level of effort and resources allocated to managing public records and responding to disclosure requests must be reasonable and is established during the biennial budget process when the city council evaluates available resources to perform all city essential functions and establishes levels of service. In this manner, the council establishes the level of effort and resources to be devoted to managing public records and responding to disclosure requests.

(f)    An annual report on the management of public records and disclosure requests will be provided by city staff to the council and the public.

(g)    As required by RCW 42.56.580, the city shall appoint and publicly identify a public records officer, whose responsibility is to serve as a point of contact for members of the public in requesting disclosure of public records and to oversee the city’s compliance with the public records management and disclosure requirements.

(h)    The city shall, through its public records officer, maintain an electronic log of all records requests received by the city.

(i)    In consultation with the public records management and disclosure steering team, the public records officer shall establish policies for information to be included in the logs and the way in which the logs are made available to the public. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013)

3.15.020 Procedural information.

As required by the Act, the city has separately established Public Records Act rules (“rules”) governing the process for requesting public records and responding to requests for public records. As required by RCW 42.56.040, the city shall prominently display and make available for inspection and copying such rules. The rules are posted on the city’s website and available in hard copy upon request. In addition, the city may establish records management policies, in accordance with the preservation statute. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013)

3.15.030 Public records management and disclosure steering team.

(a)    There is established a public records management and disclosure steering team (“steering team”) composed of the city manager, the director of finance and administration, the public records officer, and the city attorney, or their designees. The steering team shall provide guidance to the public records management and disclosure coordinating team, as needed.

(b)    The steering team is the body designated by the city to conduct reviews when any person objects in writing to the initial denial or partial denial of their records request.

(c)    The steering team will develop the rules, review all proposed amendments to the rules, and any records management policies.

(d)    The steering team, in addition to other duties, may recommend changes to this chapter or the rules to the council.

(e)    The steering team may add members, as needed. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013)

3.15.040 Public records management and disclosure coordinating team.

(a)    There is established a public records management and disclosure coordinating team (“coordinating team”). The public records officer, or designees, are the lead staff for the coordinating team.

(b)    Each city department shall designate a staff member or members to facilitate the management and disclosure of public records in coordination with the public records officer. The designated staff members will serve on the coordinating team and support the public records officer in implementing this chapter.

(c)    Coordinating team responsibilities shall be set forth in the rules and related records management policies. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013)

3.15.050 Categories of requests.

When a public disclosure request is received, the coordinating team representative receiving the request will categorize the request according to the nature, volume, and availability of the requested records as set forth in the rules. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013)

3.15.060 Standard time periods for response.

The city shall make public records available promptly when requested under the Act. If records cannot be made available within five business days, a written response from the city will be provided to the requestor within that time period. In such instances, the city will acknowledge receipt of the public disclosure request and provide a reasonable estimate of the time necessary to make the records available. The rules shall establish goals for standard response periods for all categories of records requests. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013)

3.15.070 City employee responsibilities.

(a)    As provided for herein, all city employees have responsibilities for managing public records, assisting in identifying responsive records for disclosure requests, and facilitating a thorough collection of records.

(b)    The city will provide training to city employees on their obligations under the Act and preservation statute, including the responsibility of all employees to retain records according to relevant retention schedules.

(c)    For most city employees, producing records in response to disclosure requests is a responsibility assigned in addition to their primary assigned duties and functions.

(d)    For those city employees for whom responding to disclosure requests is not among their primary assigned duties, the need to devote more than ten hours in a month to records production may result in a reasonable delay of the response to a disclosure request. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013. Formerly 3.15.110.)

3.15.080 Public records performance report.

No later than August 31st of each year, the public records officer, or designee, will submit to the city council a report on the city’s performance in managing public records and responding to disclosure requests during the prior year (i.e., July 1st through June 30th). The report shall include any baseline state-defined criteria for reporting, and items of interest, as determined by the steering team. (Ord. 4887 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4692 § 1, 2019: Ord. 4414 § 1 (part), 2013. Formerly 3.15.120.)