Minutes - 2002/01/28 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council January 28, 2002 Regular Meeting Page 27 • Council Member Marty indicated he had requested the information and was billed for it. City Administrator Miller indicated the request was treated as a data practices request because the request came as part of a request from Mrs. Marty and from Council Member Marty. The request of Mrs. Marty was fulfilled and the other request was treated as one data practices request because Council Member Marty and Mrs. Marty had requested the exact same information. City Administrator Miller explained that she had contacted the City Attorney's office and the League of Minnesota Cities for guidance on data practices requests because the City has been receiving numerous requests and, upon notification of the costs involved, people have been asking to review the information after copies are made and Staff time is expended preparing the request. She then commented that she had been advised that it would be appropriate to charge for data practices requests. She also noted that she had been told that a Council Member could not be treated any differently than any other resident in the community asking for a data practices request. City Administrator Miller indicated that the request made took 13 hours of the bookkeepers time and was 400 plus pages of copying. She then indicated if Council Member Marty would like to know in the future, the estimated costs to fulfill his requests she would be happy to provide an estimate. She further commented that the request was a sizeable request and did not come from Council as a whole. Council Member Marty confirmed that the City Administrator would not let him see the information until he paid the $452.00. City Administrator Miller indicated that is City policy and noted that a previous request filled for Council Member Marty has not been paid. Council Member Thomas asked for clarification of the letter provided and asked if her understanding that Council needs to conduct investigations as a body by direction or vote was correct. City Attorney Riggs indicated Council Member Thomas was correct in her understanding of his letter. Council Member Marty commented that any citizen in this City could investigate anything in this City. City Administrator Miller indicated, assuming the information is public, it would be provided but the resident would still be charged for staff time and for copies. • Council Member Marty asked whether Mr. Coughlin was billed for the data practices request he made on June 1, 2001 asking for copies of all e-mail and electronic copies of golf course cell