[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Clay as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 1-20-1975]
[Amended 8-20-2001 by L.L. No. 1-2001]
The following rules and regulations shall apply to the public inspection and copying of such Town records as are subject to public inspection by law and shall continue in effect until altered, changed, amended or superseded by further resolution of this Town Board, or by action of the Committee on Open Government established pursuant to the Public Officers Law.
Persons seeking public records shall make application to any of the records access officers. Such applications may be oral or in writing. All requests by a bona fide member of the news media for access to payroll records shall be made to either of the fiscal officers upon the application form prescribed by the State Comptroller.
Records shall be made available for inspection at the Town of Clay Town Hall, at the office therein of the Town officer charged with the custody and keeping thereof.
Such records shall be made available for public inspection on regular business days during regular business hours, if readily available. If the records are not readily available, written request specifically describing records to which access is desired shall be filed with the Town officer charged with the custody of such records. Such written request shall be on the form described by the State Comptroller. Response to such oral or written request shall be made within no more than five working days after receipt of said request or a written explanation given of the reason for any additional delay which may be required. If the Town officer charged with the custody and keeping of the record elects to deny access, that officer shall submit to the requestor a written statement of the reason therefor, and shall advise the requestor of his right to appeal such denial and the name and address of the person to whom such appeal may be made.
[Amended 8-20-2001 by L.L. No. 1-2001]
Appeals from denial of access to public records shall be made to the Supervisor of the Town of Clay within 30 business days from the date of delivery of such denial. Thereafter, the said Supervisor shall make a determination of such appeal within 10 business days of receipt of said appeal and inform the requestor of the decision in writing. A final denial of access to a requested record by the Supervisor shall be subject to court review as provided in Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
Any of the records access officers is authorized to copy any records which are within the purview of the law and to charge $0.25 per page. No records shall be reproduced until payment is first received.
No records shall be removed from the lawful custody of any Town officer charged with the custody and keeping thereof.
Either of the fiscal officers and any of the records access officers shall maintain a log in a form to be determined by them which will contain the date and time of each application for access to records made pursuant to these regulations. Such log shall contain, in the case of requests made in person by the requestor, the signature of the requestor certifying that the requestor has been shown a copy of these regulations. In other cases, merely the name of the requestor may be placed in the log by the officer.
To prevent an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, an agency or municipality may delete identifying details when it makes records available. An unwarranted invasion of personal privacy includes, but shall not be limited to:
A. 
Disclosure of such personal matters as may have been reported in confidence to an agency or municipality and which are not relevant or essential to the ordinary work of the agency or municipality;
B. 
Disclosure of employment, medical or credit histories or personal references of applicants for employment, except such records may be disclosed when the applicant has provided written release permitting such disclosure;
C. 
Disclosure of items involving the medical or personal records of a client or patient in a hospital or medical facility;
D. 
The sale or release of lists of names and addresses in the possession of any department if such lists would be used for private, commercial or fundraising purposes;
E. 
Disclosure of items of a personal nature when disclosure would result in economic or personal hardship to the subject party and such records are not relevant or essential to the ordinary work of the department.
[Amended 8-20-2001 by L.L. No. 1-2001]
In the event that a question arises as to the nature of the records, in that public viewing of such records may result in an unwarranted invasion of a citizen's personal privacy or may result in a disclosure of material that must be confidential to promote effective law enforcement or for any other reason which, in the opinion of any of the records access officers, are valid to promote the public interest while consistent with the Freedom of Information Law, the records access officer shall confer with the Town Attorney before determining if such records shall be made available for inspection.
Each department of the Town of Clay shall maintain and make available for public inspection and copying a current list, reasonably detailed, by subject matter of any records which shall be produced, filed, or first kept or promulgated after the effective date of this article. Such list shall also provide identifying information as to any records in the possession of the department on or before the effective date of this article.
In the event that any requests cannot be met because such records are being used for current working purposes, the applicant shall be advised of such fact and every effort will be made to arrange a specific time when such records will be available.
The Town of Clay shall publicize by posting in a conspicuous location wherever records are kept:
A. 
The location where public records shall be made available for inspection and copying;
B. 
The name, title, business address and business telephone number of the designated records access officers and fiscal officers;
C. 
The right to appeal by any requestor denied access to a record for whatever reason and the name and business address of the person or persons or body to whom an appeal is to be directed.
[Adopted 11-5-1980]
Records Retention and Disposition Schedule No. MU-1,[1] issued pursuant to Part 185, Title 8, of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules, and Regulations of the State of New York and containing minimum legal retention periods for Town records, is hereby adopted for us by the Town Clerk of this Town.
[1]
Editor’s Note: This form number was updated at the request of the Town pursuant to changes made by New York State.
This Board hereby authorizes the disposition of records in accordance with the minimum legal retention periods set forth in Records Retention and Disposition Schedule No. MU-1.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: This form number was updated at the request of the Town pursuant to changes made by New York State.