[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of
the City of New Berlin 10-10-2000 by Ord. No. 2124 as Sec. 3.06 of the Municipal
Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any of the following city entities having custody of a city
record: an office, elected official, agency, board, commission, committee,
council, department or public body corporate and politic created by
constitution, law, ordinance, rule or order; or a formally constituted
subunit of the foregoing.
That officer, department head, division head or employee of the city designated under § 59-3 or otherwise responsible by law to keep and preserve any city records or file, deposit or keep such records in his or her office, or is lawfully in possession or entitled to possession of such public records and who is required by this chapter to respond to requests for access to such records.
Any material on which written, drawn, printed, spoken, visual
or electromagnetic information is recorded or preserved, regardless
of physical form or characteristics, which has been created or is
being kept by an authority. "Record" includes but is not limited to
handwritten, typed or printed pages, maps, charts, photographs, films,
recordings, tapes (including computer tapes), computer printouts and
optical disks. "Record" does not include drafts, notes, preliminary
computations and like materials prepared for the originator's personal
use or prepared by the originator in the name of a person for whom
the originator is working; materials which are purely the personal
property of the custodian and have no relation to his or her office;
materials to which access is limited by copyright, patent or bequest;
and published materials in the possession of an authority other than
a public library which are available for sale, or which are available
for inspection at a public library.
[Amended 6-19-2001 by Ord. No. 2142]
A.
Except as provided under § 59-7, each officer and employee of the city shall safely keep and preserve all records received from his or her predecessor or other persons and required by law to be filed, deposited or kept in his or her office or which are in the lawful possession or control of the officer or employee or his or her deputies, or to the possession or control of which he or she or they may be lawfully entitled as such officers or employees.
B.
Upon the expiration of an officer's term of office
or an employee's term of employment, or whenever the office or position
of employment becomes vacant, each such officer or employee shall
deliver to his or her successor all records then in his or her custody
and the successor shall receipt therefor to the officer or employee,
who shall file such receipt with the City Clerk. If a vacancy occurs
before a successor is selected or qualifies, such records shall be
delivered to and receipted for by the Clerk, on behalf of the successor,
to be delivered to such successor upon the latter's receipt.
A.
Each elected official is the legal custodian of his
or her records and the records of his or her office, but the official
may designate an employee of his or her staff to act as the legal
custodian.
B.
Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the City Clerk
or the Clerk's designee shall act as legal custodian for the City
Council and for any committees, commissions, boards or other authorities
created by ordinance or resolution of the City Council. This shall
not include the Police Department, whose custodian is the Chief; nor
the Fire Department, whose custodian is the Chief.
D.
Each legal custodian shall name a person to act as
legal custodian in his or her absence or the absence of his or her
designee.
E.
The legal custodian shall have full legal power to
render decisions and to carry out the duties of an authority under
Subchapter. II of Ch. 19, Wis. Stats., and this chapter. The designation
of a legal custodian does not affect the powers and duties of an authority
under this chapter.
A.
Except as provided in § 59-6, any person has a right to inspect a record and to make or receive a copy of any record as provided in § 19.35(1), Wis. Stats.
B.
Records will be available for inspection and copying
during all regular office hours.
C.
If regular office hours are not maintained at the
location where records are kept, the records will be available for
inspection and copying upon at least 48 hours' advance notice of intent
to inspect or copy.
D.
A requester shall be permitted to use facilities comparable
to those available to city employees to inspect, copy or abstract
a record.
E.
The legal custodian may require supervision during
inspection or may impose other reasonable restrictions on the manner
of access to an original record if the record is irreplaceable or
easily damaged.
F.
A requester shall be charged a fee to defray the cost
of locating and copying records as follows:
(1)
The cost of photocopying shall be $0.50 per page.
Such cost has been calculated not to exceed the actual, necessary
and direct cost of reproduction.
(2)
If the form of a written record does not permit copying,
the actual and necessary cost of photographing and photographic processing
shall be charged.
(3)
The actual full cost of providing a copy of other
records not in printed form on paper, such as films, computer printouts
and audiotapes or videotapes, shall be charged.
(4)
If mailing or shipping is necessary, the actual cost
thereof shall also be charged.
(5)
There shall be no charge for locating a record unless
the actual cost therefor exceeds $50, in which case the actual cost
shall be determined by the legal custodian and billed to the requester.
(6)
The legal custodian shall estimate the cost of all
applicable fees and may require a cash deposit adequate to assure
payment, if such estimate exceeds $5.
(7)
Elected and appointed officials of the city shall
not be required to pay for public records they may reasonably require
for the proper performance of their official duties.
(8)
The legal custodian may provide copies of a record
without charge or at a reduced charge where he or she determines that
waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public interest.
G.
Pursuant to § 19.34, Wis. Stats., and the
guidelines therein listed, each authority shall adopt, prominently
display and make available for inspection and copying at its offices,
for the guidance of the public, a notice containing a description
of its organization and the established times and places at which,
the legal custodian from whom, and the methods whereby, the public
may obtain information and access to records in its custody, make
requests for records, or obtain copies of records, and the costs thereof.
Each authority shall also prominently display at its offices, for
the guidance of the public, a copy of this chapter. This subsection
does not apply to members of the City Council.
A.
A request to inspect or copy a record shall be made to the legal custodian. A request shall be deemed sufficient if it reasonably describes the requested record or the information requested. However, a request for a record without a reasonable limitation as to subject matter or length of time represented by the record does not constitute a sufficient request. A request may be made orally, but a request must be in writing before an action to enforce the request is commenced under § 19.37, Wis. Stats. Except as provided below, no request may be refused because the person making the request is unwilling to be identified or to state the purpose of the request. No request may be refused because the request is received by mail, unless prepayment of a fee is required under § 59-4F(6). A requester may be required to show acceptable identification whenever the requested record is kept at a private residence or whenever security reasons or federal law or regulations so require.
B.
Each custodian, upon request for any record, shall,
as soon as practicable and without delay, either fill the request
or notify the requester of the authority's determination to deny the
request in whole or in part and the reasons therefor. If the legal
custodian, after conferring with the City Attorney, determines that
a written request is so general as to be unduly time consuming, the
party making the request may first be required to itemize his or her
request in a manner which would permit reasonable compliance.
C.
A request for a record may be denied as provided in § 59-6. If a request is made orally, the request may be denied orally unless a demand for a written statement of the reasons denying the request is made by the requester within five business days of the oral denial. If a written request is denied in whole or in part, the requester shall receive a written statement of the reasons for denying the request. Every written denial of a request shall inform the requester that if the request for the record was made in writing, then the determination is subject to review upon petition for a writ of mandamus under § 19.37(1), Wis. Stats., or upon application to the Attorney General or a district attorney.
A.
As provided by § 19.36, Wis. Stats., the
following records are exempt from inspection under this chapter:
(1)
Records specifically exempted from disclosure by state
or federal law or authorized to be exempted from disclosure by state
law.
(2)
Any record relating to investigative information obtained
for law enforcement purposes if federal law or regulations require
exemption from disclosure or if exemption from disclosure is a condition
to receipt of aids by the state.
(3)
Computer programs, although the material used as input
for a computer program or the material produced as a product of the
computer program is subject to inspection.
(4)
A record or any portion of a record containing information
qualifying as a common law trade secret.
(5)
Employment records under § 103.13, Wis.
Stats.
B.
As provided by § 43.30, Wis. Stats., public
library circulation records are exempt from inspection under this
chapter.
C.
In responding to a request for inspection or copying
of a record which is not specifically exempt from disclosure, the
legal custodian, after conferring with the City Attorney, may deny
the request, in whole or in part, only if he or she determines that
the harm to the public interest resulting from disclosure would outweigh
the public interest in full access to the requested record. Examples
of matters for which disclosure may be refused include, but are not
limited to, the following:
(1)
Records obtained under official pledges of confidentiality
which were necessary and given in order to obtain the information
contained in them.
(2)
Records of current deliberations after a quasi-judicial
hearing.
(3)
Records of current deliberations concerning employment,
dismissal, promotion, demotion, compensation, performance or discipline
of any city officer or employee, or the investigation of charges against
a city officer or employee, unless such officer or employee consents
to such disclosure.
(4)
Records concerning current strategy for crime detection
or prevention. Among, but not limited to, the reasons for denying
all or parts of police records are the following:
(a)
Portion contains confidential information furnished
only by a confidential source who has requested anonymity as a condition
of relaying this information.
(b)
Portion would identify a confidential source and this
would jeopardize a criminal investigation.
(c)
Portion would identify a confidential source and this
would endanger the life or physical safety of this source.
(d)
Portion would disclose the contents of a communication
between executive personnel on matters of policy, the disclosure of
which would inhibit the frank and full discussion of matters necessary
to set policy.
(e)
Portion will jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation
in that it will disclose evidence.
(f)
Portion will impair the ability of the investigating
officers to function effectively in that it will disclose techniques
used in investigations.
(g)
Portion names law enforcement personnel. Disclosure
will impair their effectiveness in their duties and subject them to
harassment and physical injury.
(h)
Portion identifies citizens. Disclosure may cause
undue damage to the reputation of citizens in the community and violate
the right to privacy under § 895.50, Wis. Stats.
(i)
Information is unsubstantiated; if released, it would
unduly damage the reputation of the individual or individuals involved.
(j)
Portion identifies a person. Disclosure of such persons
in this context would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect
on their reputation.
(k)
Portion identifies a juvenile. Disclosure of such
person and information is in violation of § 48.396, Wis.
Stats.
(l)
Portion contains employee performance evaluation data.
(m)
Portion contains information not made public as part
of a written public speech, presentation or press release.
(5)
Records of current deliberations or negotiations on
the purchase of city property, investing of city funds or other city
business whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require nondisclosure.
(6)
Financial, medical, social or personal histories or
disciplinary data of specific persons which, if disclosed, would be
likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of
any person referred to in such history or data.
(7)
Communications between legal counsel for the city
and any officer, agent or employee of the city, when advice is being
rendered concerning strategy with respect to current litigation in
which the city or any of its officers, agents or employees is or is
likely to become involved, or communications which are privileged
under § 905.03, Wis. Stats.
D.
If a record contains information that may be made
public and information that may not be made public, the custodian
of the record shall provide the information that may be made public
and delete the information that may not be made public from the record
before release. The custodian shall confer with the City Attorney
prior to releasing any such record and shall follow the guidance of
the City Attorney when separating out the exempt material. If in the
judgment of the custodian and the City Attorney there is no feasible
way to separate the exempt material from the nonexempt material without
unreasonably jeopardizing nondisclosure of the exempt material, the
entire record shall be withheld from disclosure.
[Amended 8-28-2007 by Ord. No.
2352; 7-23-2019 by Ord. No. 2622]
A.
General
Records Schedule adopted. The City hereby adopts, by reference, the
Wisconsin Municipal Records Schedule (hereinafter, "Records Schedule"),
pertaining to the retention and destruction of public records, and
approved by the State of Wisconsin Public Records Board (hereinafter,
"Records Board") on August 27, 2018 and as amended. A copy of the
Records Schedule will be kept on file in the City Clerk's office
and made available for public viewing during regular office hours.
B.
Other
records. In the event the City creates a record not contemplated by
the Records Schedule, the City may, subject to the Records Board's
prior approval, either adopt an applicable records retention schedule
set forth by the Records Board, if available, or create its own retention
schedule pertaining to the record. Any approved City retention schedule
in effect on the effective date of this ordinance, or portion thereof,
for any record not contemplated by the Records Schedule shall remain
in full force and effect.
[Amended 5-28-2013 by Ord. No. 2503]
Any City officer or the director of any department or division of City government may, subject to the approval of the Mayor and Common Council, keep and preserve public records in his her possession by means of microfilm or other reproductive device, optical imaging or electronic formatting. Such records shall meet the standards for said reproduction as set forth in §§ 16.61(7) and 16.612, Wis. Stats. Any reproduction of a record authorized to be reproduced under this section shall be considered an original record for all purposes. Such records shall be preserved, along with other files of the department or division, and shall be open to public inspection and copying according to the provisions of state law, as well as §§ 59-4 through 59-6 of this chapter.
