CC WORKSESSION 10042005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMORANDUM DATE: September 14, 2005 TO: Mike Morrison, City Manager FROM: John Ohl, Captain SUBJECT: FEES FOR PROVIDING COPIES OF PUBLIC GOVERNMENT DATA Effective August 1, 2005, the state legislature has specifically defined how municipalities can determine fees charged for providing copies of public government data. Two methods are described: 1. 100 or less pages - 25 cents per page 2. Actual Costs of searching for, retrieving, making, certifying, and compiling the records. NOTE: These costs can not include depreciation/ maintenance /electricity /etc of the copy machine itself, or costs associated with returning reports back to the file. In addition, the actual cost has to be calculated by using the lowest paid employee able to complete the task. Additional changes in the law require municipalities to charge individuals who are the subject the data requested, only the value of the paper and copying costs themselves. We cannot charge the actual costs associated with making copies for the subject of the data. Based on the new fee structure defined in chapter 13, I am going to institute the following for our department: ➢ Subject of the data being requested —no cost ➢ Any party requesting copies that are less than four pages — no cost ➢ Anyone other than the subject of the data requesting four or more pages - .25 per page ➢ Anyone other than the subject of the data requesting more than 100 pages — actual costs per data practices chapter 13 In addition, we will no longer fax any documents and we will not mail any documents without a self address stamped envelope. In checking with Roger, I am told that we bring in approximately $1200 -$1400 per year based on the sale of records. This figure will now be closer to $250 per year based on the fee structure defined by the new law.