Standard Right-To-Know Request Form - Connoquenessing Township printable pdf download

CONNOQUENESSING TOWNSHIP ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know

Law, 65 P.S. § 66.1 et seq., as amended, by Act 3 of 2008, to provide access to all public records

of Connoquenessing Township, except for those records enumerated as exceptions to the law, to

preserve the integrity of Connoquenessing Township records, and to minimize the financial

impact to the public regarding the resources utilized in the receipt and processing of public

record requests and the retrieval and copying of public records. Such records to be included are

those in the possession, custody or control of Connoquenessing Township, and records within

the possession of a party with whom Connoquenessing Township has contracted to perform a

government function and the record related to that government function. All requests for public

records must be made on the approved form, a sample of which is attached, identified as

Standard Right-To-Know Request Form.

It is the policy of Connoquenessing Township to require the presence of its designated

Open Records Officer, when public records are examined and inspected and to charge reasonable

fees for duplication of public records of Connoquenessing Township. Connoquenessing

Township’s designated Open Records Officer is responsible for assuring compliance with the

Pennsylvania Right-To-Know Law, in accordance with the following guidelines:

The Open Records Officer will determine if the record is subject to its possession,

custody or control.

The Open Records Officer will determine if the record, which is presumed to be a

public record, is exempted from disclosure.

The Open Records Officer shall make a timely written response to the request.

Only written requests will receive statutory protection. Written requests can be

submitted in person, by mail, by facsimile, or by e-mail. All employees and

authorized representatives of Connoquenessing Township will be directed to

forward record requests to the Open Records Officer.

The Open Records Officer shall respond within five (5) days of the date of receipt

of the request.

If the Open Records Officer denies the request, the requester can file an appeal

with the Office of Open Records within fifteen (15) days. The Office of Open

Records reviews the request and response and issues a final determination. Either

the requester or Connoquenessing Township can appeal the decision of the

Offices of Open records to the Butler County of Common Pleas.

The statute expressly provides, because all records are presumed to be public

records, that Connoquenessing Township bears the burden of proving, by a

preponderance of the evidence that the public record is subject to one of the

enumerated exceptions to disclosure.

For criminal records, the requestor is to appeal to the Butler County District

Attorney, P.O. Box 1208, Butler, PA 16003-1208.

Standard Right-To-Know Request Form - Connoquenessing Township