In recognition of the fact that a representative government
is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the
public policy of this Village that all persons are entitled to the
greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government
and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent
them. Further, providing persons with such information is declared
to be an essential function of a representative government and an
integral part of the routine duties of officers and employees whose
responsibility it is to provide such information.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AUTHORITY
Any of the following Village entities having custody of a
Village record: an office, elected or appointed 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.
CUSTODIAN
That officer, department head, division head or employee of the Village designated under §
114-4 or otherwise responsible by law to keep and preserve any Village records or file, deposit or keep such records in his office or who is lawfully in possession or entitled to possession of such public records and is required by this chapter to respond to requests for access to such records.
RECORD
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 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.
Any Village officer or the director of any department or division
of Village government may, subject to the approval of the Village
Board, keep and preserve public records in his possession by means
of microfilm or other photographic reproduction method. Such records
shall meet the standards for photographic reproduction set forth in
§ 16.61(7)(a) and (b), Wis. Stats., and shall be considered
original records for all purposes. Such records shall be preserved
along with the other files of the department or division and shall
be open to public inspection and copying according to the provisions
of state law and of this chapter.