R-2015-24 36-hour rule for PIRs - Laserfiche WebLink

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Requestor:A person who submits a written request to inspect records, obtain copies of records, or both. POLICY The City establishes a reasonable limit of 36 hours per requestor during the 12-month period that corresponds with the City fiscal year for the amount of time that personnel of the City are required to spend producing public information for inspection by a requestor, or providing copies of public information to a requestor, without recovering costs from the requestor attributable to that personnel time. Each requestor whose public information requests in a fiscal year require the expenditure of personnel time that exceeds the 36-hour time limit shall pay all costs attributable to cost of materials, personnel time, and overhead expenses necessary to comply with the request, even if the requestor intends to only inspect the documents. Each time the City complies with a request for public information, the City shall provide the requestor with a written statement of the amount of personnel`time spent complying with that request and the cumulative amount of time spent complying with requests for public information from that requestor during the applicable 12-month period. The amount of time spent preparing the written statement will not be included in the amount of time included in the statement provided to the requestor. If in connection with a request for public information, the cumulative amount of personnel time spent complying with requests for public information from the same requestor equals or exceeds the 36 hour limit, the City shall provide the requestor with a written estimate of the total cost, including materials, personnel time, and overhead expenses, necessary to comply with the request. The written estimate must be provided to the requestor on or before the 10th day after the date on which the public information was requested. The amount of the charge relating to the cost of locating, compiling, and producing the public information shall be established by rules prescribed by the attorney general under Texas Government Code Sections 552.262(a) and (b). If the City determines that additional time is required to prepare the written estimate and provides the requestor with a written statement of that determination, the City will provide the written statement as soon as practicable, but on or before the 10th day after the date the City provided the statement. If the City provides a requestor with a written statement under this policy, the City will not be required to produce public information for inspection or duplication or to provide copies of public information in response to the requestor's request unless on or before the 10th day after the date the City provided the written statement, the requestor submits a statement in writing to the City in which the requestor commits to pay the lesser of: (1) the actual costs incurred in complying with the requestor's request, including the cost of materials and personnel time and overhead; or