[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Lehighton 6-29-2011 by Res. No. R-007-2011.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor’s Note: This resolution also superseded former
Ch. 33, Records, Public Access to, adopted 10-28-2002 by Res. No.
R-008-2002.
The Borough of Lehighton designates the Borough Secretary as
the Borough Open Records Officer. The current Borough Secretary is
Brenda Koons.
All documents deemed public records shall be available for inspection,
retrieval, and duplication at the Borough Building during established
business hours with the exceptions of weekends and holidays.
Paper copies shall be $0.25 per page per side. The certification
of a record is $1 per record. Specialized documents, including, but
not limited to, blueprints, color copies, and nonstandard-sized documents
shall be charged the actual cost of production. If mailing is requested,
the cost of postage will be charged. The Borough shall require prepayment
of all fees prior to the release of records. The Borough shall require
prepayment of an estimate of the fees prior to granting a request
for access if the Borough expects the fee to exceed $100.
A.
The Borough shall make a good-faith effort to provide the requested
public record(s) as promptly as possible. The Open Records Officer
shall cooperate with those requesting records to review and/or duplicate
original Borough documents while taking reasonable measure to protect
Borough documents from the possibility of theft, damage, and/or modification.
B.
The Open Records Officer shall review all written requests for access
to public records. As soon as possible, but no later than five business
days after receiving a written request to access public records, the
Open Records Officer shall respond to such requests in writing consistent
with Act 3 of 2008, the Right-to-Know Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq.
C.
If access to a record is denied, the response shall include a reason
for denial as stipulated in Act 3 of 2008, the Right-to-Know Law.
D.
The Open Records Officer/Agency may contact the requester by phone
and/or mail to advise the requester of the availability of any documents
requested.
A.
If a written request is denied or deemed denied, the requester may
file an appeal in writing to Terry Mutchler, Executive Director, Office
of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street,
Plaza Level, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225.
B.
Appeals of criminal records shall be made to the District Attorney
of Carbon County, Gary Dobias, P.O. Box 36, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229,
(570)325-2718.
The appeal shall be filed within 15 business days of the mailing
date of the Borough's response or within 15 business days of
a deemed denial. The appeal shall state the grounds upon which the
requester asserts the record is a public record and shall address
any grounds stated by the Borough for delaying or denying the request.