Public Records Act request burden on City Hall
Summary
The city has gotten 695 records requests this year — nearly double all of 2025 — costing staff time and money. The mayor wants a discussion item at the next meeting.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 2
- Last 30 days
- 0
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 6, 2026.
Impact analysis
Extra staff have been hired to process the requests; cost not quantified.
Residents and journalists seeking government records.
The city cites staff burden and cost from what it sees as possible abuse.
Mentions & discussions (2)
City Council - October 6, 2026
One resident has filed 284 public records requests since June, and the city says it has spent over $300,000 in staff and attorney time responding — diverting staff from routine work. The requester says the real problem is poor transparency technology, not the requests, and points to a website he built with city records. The council voted to bring back a detailed cost report.
City Council - September 15, 2026
The city has gotten 695 records requests this year — nearly double all of 2025 — costing staff time and money. The mayor wants a discussion item at the next meeting.
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