(A) Consistent with the policy, duties and procedures established by the State of Kansas in K.S.A. 45-205 et seq., as amended, the City’s official and record custodians shall provide full access and assistance in a timely and efficient manner to persons who request access to open public records.

(B) Record custodians shall adopt and apply procedures which will ensure the protection and preservation of public records with respect to the manner in which such records are inspected and copied.

(C) All persons requesting inspection of or a copy of open public records must make such request in writing, except as otherwise provided in this ordinance, and include their name, address and a reasonable description of the record document(s) they desire to inspect and copy. Although no particular form is required, the official custodian shall provide a City form for the requestor’s convenience.

(D) Record custodians shall take necessary measures, not inconsistent with their duties, to provide full public access to open public records, to ensure that the essential functions of the custodian’s office, department or agency are not disrupted by requests for record inspection and copying.

(E) All inspections and copying of Open Public Records shall be performed by, or under the supervision of, the record custodian responsible for such records.

(F) All record inspection and copying requests are to be submitted by the person requesting the record. The official or record custodian may demand reasonable identification of any person requesting a record.

(G) Fees for copying are due at the time application is made and are to be paid to the official custodian. A fee schedule shall be adopted by the Governing Body of the City by resolution.

(H) The official custodian shall determine and assess a charge covering mailing and handling costs accrued in responding to requests through the mail service.

(I) The official custodian may exercise his or her discretion to reduce or waive any copying fee when such is in the public interest.

(J) No record copying charge shall be assessed against officers or employees of the City who make requests which are reasonably necessary to the performance of their official duties.

(K) Hours for making requests for inspection and/or copying shall be all regular working hours for each day the office maintains regular working office hours. If an office keeping or maintaining public records does not have working office hours Monday through Friday, the record custodian for such office shall establish hours for each such day when no regular office hours are kept; at which time members of the public may make requests for record inspection and/or copies of records.

(L) Each request for access to open public records shall be acted upon as soon as possible, but no later than the end or the third business day following the date that the request was received. If access is not granted within three working days the requestor will be given a day, time and place that the record will be made available.

(M) Information extracted from public records and routinely passed to citizens verbally during the normal course of business will continue to be disseminated in this manner. For example, information from the computerized real estate file will continue to be given out by telephone. Additionally, all records which arise from current City business activities, such as Governing Body or other commission and board meetings, will be provided as in the past, for inspection and copying at no charge to the requesting individual.

(N) The record custodian will allow access to an open public record only in the area of the City Hall or other City building in which the record is kept. Under no circumstances will a public record be removed for public inspection or copying from such premises.

(O) The above procedure, as well as any other inspection and copying procedures, shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the office of the official custodian. (Ord. 02-118 § 1, 2002; Ord. 00-79 § 3, 2000; Ord. 87-30 § 18, 1987; Ord. 84-07 § 1, 1984.)