More about Open Records Requests

How do we know what agreements the Industrial Authority has with Wiregrass Power LLC? Open records requests!

Some local councils don't even have open records request forms, and many don't have them posted online. But that doesn't have to stop you!

As mentioned, there are plenty of open records requests still to be filed. If you want suggestions, inquire at information at l-a-k-e.org (the dashes are part of the address). For how, see the previous post on the Open Records Act. Send LAKE the results of your request and we may publish them. If you want your name mentioned in a LAKE post as the open records requestor, please say so.

Also remember that any communications you may receive from an elected

or appointed official may also be covered by the open records act, especially if it is sent from a publicly-funded telephone or email address or on official letterhead. In such cases you don't even need to file an open records request, since you've already received the communication.

Some longstanding open records requests haven't yet been fulfilled. Perhaps it's time to publicize such lack of compliance with the Georgia Open Records Act. As you can see in that post, even the VDT has not always gotten compliance from the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) about open records requests. And I can tell you the VLCIA is not the only local government body that sometimes stonewalls open records requests.

News flash! We're pleased to report that while we were composing this post, one of those outstanding requests was fulfilled, after only a couple of years!

Many local councils don't even have their open records request forms online. Some don't even have a form. You can still file an open records request even if there is no form. Use a form from some other body, such as Valdosta or Lowndes County, and provide the same information for the body you send the request to. You don't even have to use a form: you can send the request by email.

Still, it would be good to get all the local councils and appointed boards to post open records request forms on the web. For that matter, how about we get them to all post agendas and minutes? The Industrial Authority, for one, still doesn't do that. The more people who ask them and others to post agendas, minutes, and open records forms, the more likely they'll do it.

Help yourself by helping us keep the owl flying.

-jsq for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange