Government

Public Records

Public Records Request Policy

Public records requests need not be in writing; however, if a public records request is made orally, then the person receiving the request will write down the request and read it back to the requesting party to make sure the request is accurate. Alternately, the attached form (see below) may be completed by the requesting party and submitted to the City. The Requestor will be asked to sign the request, but there is no obligation on the Requestor to do so, nor must the Requestor identify themselves or the intended use of the public record(s) requested.

The person to whom you make the request may not have the authority to respond to the request. In any event, public records requests will receive a response, as appropriate, in a reasonable amount time given the nature and circumstances of the request. Requests may require review by the City’s Legal Counsel.

Information may be exempt from public inspection and may require redaction.

If a request is made for copies of the public record(s) being requested or inspected, the City of Trotwood will charge for the actual cost of copying, which is currently $.10 per copy. Payment shall be made in advance when more than 100 copies are requested, and there is no charge for copies of less than 20 pages (8.5” x 11” or 8.5” x 14”). Blueprints/drawings on large paper will be charged at a rate of $3.00 per sheet.

If the Requestor wants the information mailed, the Requestor shall provide all appropriate mailing information. The City of Trotwood will require the payment of postage costs in advance.

If the requested public record(s) exist in more than one form or the Requestor asked for them to be provided or mailed in a form other than how they currently exist, the Requestor may, at Requestor’s cost, choose the form in which the public record(s) shall be provided. The City shall provide the request if the duplication in the requested form can be reasonably accommodated as an integral part of the normal operations of the City. The cost of the medium will be charged to the Requestor at the City of Trotwood’s cost. The City of Trotwood may require the requestor to pay the estimated costs in advance.

Requests for public records may be denied when the request is ambiguous or overly broad, or if the records cannot be reasonably identified. You may revise the request by requesting the records in the manner in which they are maintained.

If your request is denied, the City of Trotwood will provide you with an explanation. If your records request was submitted in writing, the explanation provided by the City will be in writing.

If your request is denied because the City employee cannot understand the request, the employee will inform you of your right to revise your request. The employee will also explain the manner in which the records are kept and accessed in the ordinary course of the City’s operation.

A Requestor has no right to make his/her own copies.

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