West Buechel open records decision

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16-ORD-018

February 5, 2016

In re: Reverend Russell/City of West Buecel

Summary: City of West Buecel violated te !"en Records

#ct fro$ a "rocedural stand"oint in failin% to eiter

"ro"erly invo&e 'R( 61)*+25- if a""ro"riate or "rovide

re.uester it ti$ely access to any eistin% res"onsive

docu$ents in co$"liance it 'R( 61)**01-) e City

also co$$itted a substantive violation of te #ct in failin%

to eiter "rovide re.uester it a co"y of a res"onsive

canceled cec& or "rovide a ritten e"lanation for te

inability to "rovide tat cec&, and in failin% to

ar$atively indicate eter additional res"onsive

docu$ents eisted in res"ondin% to re.uest)

Open Records Decision

Reverend Russell, of te National Investigative Report, initiated

tis a""eal callen%in% te dis"osition of is (e"te$ber 13, 2015,

re.uest by te City of West Buecel) By letter directed to 4City Cler&

!"en Records1

on (e"te$ber 13, 2015, Rev) Russell as&ed for tefolloin%:

17ursuant to 'R( *8#)0*58-b-, te city cler& is re.uired to "erfor$ te duties 4ofte 9ocial custodian or 9custodian in accordance it 'R( 61)*+0 to 61)**2)


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(ar" and te "olice de"t=) ave> s"ent or brou%t =sic>

for all of 2013 =a>nd u" to current date in 2015)

Rev) Russell as&ed tat if te City Cler& ad any .uestions to 4"lease

contact $e by "one but noted tat e as $uc easier to reac via

e;$ail@ e also "rovided is $ailin% address in case it as necessary to

$ail ard co"ies of te records to i$)

By e;$ail directed to Rev) Russell on (e"te$ber 16, 2015, City

Cler&/reasurer 'i$ Ricards advised, 4(ee attaced) Aoever, by e;

$ail sent later tat day after business ours, Rev) Russell notied te

City Cler& tat e as unable to o"en te attac$ent to er e;$ail)

Rev) Russell advised tat en e atte$"ted to vie te content 4=i>t

loo&ed li&e code) (ee$s to $e to be a virus because te "rotector

ent o on $y syste$) Dou $i%t ave to send it a dierent ay,

"lease) Aavin% received no additional res"onse, Rev) Russell notied

te City Cler& tat e re$ained unable to vie te records 4it no

viruses by letter dated !ctober *, 2015, and tat e ould initiate an

a""eal it te #ttorney ?eneral if e did not receive te records by

!ctober 12, 2015) By e;$ail sent on !ctober 12, 2015, Es) Ricards

advised Rev) Russell tat 4=a>ttaced is te res"onse to your o"en

records re.uest of /13/2015) In a letter dated (e"te$ber 16, 2015,

but sent to Rev) Russell on !ctober *, 2015, te City Cler& advised tat

Cief (ar" received a loan fro$ te City in 2018) Cief (ar" "aid

bac& te loan via "ayroll deduction) e City Cler& asserted tat 4=a>ll

docu$ents are currently in te ands of te 'entuc&y (tate #uditorsand are unavailable to us at tis ti$e) Eayor Ricards as veried tat

te loan as "aid bac& in full)

By letter dated Gove$ber 28, 2015, but received in tis oce via

fa on


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16;!R a""arent belief, te #ct

conte$"lates records "roduction on te tird business day

after recei"t of te re.uest, and not si$"ly notication tat

te a%ency ill co$"ly) In su""ort, e note tat 'R(

61)*+25-, te only "rovision in te #ct tat autoriNes

"ost"one$ent of access to "ublic records beyond tree

business days, e"ressly states:

2(ee 4Ma$ination of Certain 7olicies, 7rocedures, Controls, and Financial #ctivity ofte City of West Buecel issued by te 7erfor$ance and Ma$ination #udits Brancof te #uditor of 7ublic #ccounts on


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16;!R even re$otely co$"ly it tere.uire$ents of te #ct;$uc less a$ount = > to substantial

co$"liance) dmondson v. !lig, 26 ()W)2d *56, *5* 'y) #"") 16-@03;!R


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s"ecifyin% ic of tose records, if any, to ic access is bein%

denied-@ 0+;!R


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West Buechel open records decision