[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Walhalla 12-21-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-30. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
The City
Council of the City of Walhalla (the "Council"), the governing body
of the City of Walhalla, South Carolina (the "City"), recognizes the
findings of the General Assembly of South Carolina that it is vital
in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open
and public manner so that citizens shall be advised of the performance
of public officials and of the decisions that are reached in public
activity and in the formulation of public policy.
B.
In order
to ensure that the City conducts public business in an open and public
manner, it shall be the policy of the City to comply with both the
letter and the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as
codified at S.C. Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq., as amended.
C.
The Council
has determined that a formal City policy regarding the submission
and processing of requests for access to public records under FOIA,
including a form to be used for the submission of requests and certification
of fulfilment of said requests (respectively, the "FOIA Policy," the
"request form" and the "certification"), attached hereto as Exhibit
A,[1] should be amended to provide the public and City employees
with clear requirements and practices that will permit the City to
operate in an open and public manner.
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
Pursuant to the findings above, the Council hereby adopts its
Policy Regarding Requests for Public Records Under the Freedom of
Information Act (the "policy"), a copy of which is attached hereto.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Exhibit A, included as an attachment to this chapter.
In adopting the policy, the Council has determined that the
"Fee Schedule for Staff Time and Copies" included in the policy is
an accurate reflection of the actual cost of searching for and making
copies of records. The schedule has been initially approved by the
terms of this chapter, but may be updated in the reasonable discretion
of the Council by subsequent ordinance or by the approval of its annual
budget ordinance.
In approving this chapter and the policy, the Council expressly
adopts any and all exemptions, restrictions and limitations from disclosure
contained within FOIA as may be amended from time to time, and any
additional exemptions, restrictions or limitations from disclosure
that may be provided for now or in the future under South Carolina
or federal law.
