(a)   It is hereby declared to be the policy of the city that all public records which are made, maintained or kept by or are in the possession of the city, its officers and employees, shall be open for public inspection as provided by, and subject to the restrictions imposed by, the Kansas Open Records Act.

(b)   Any person, upon request, shall have access to such open public records for the purpose of inspecting, abstracting or copying such records while they are in the possession, custody and control of the appointed or designated record custodian thereof, or his or her designated representative.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 1; Code 1997)

The record custodian(s) appointed and designated pursuant to this article shall preserve and protect all public records from damage, disorganization and theft and shall assist, in a timely and efficient manner, any person making request for access to any open public record.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 2)

All city offices keeping and maintaining open public records shall establish office hours during which any person may make a request for access to an open public record. Such hours shall be no fewer than the hours each business day the office is regularly open to the public. For any city office not open Monday through Friday, hours shall be established by the record custodian for each such day at which time any person may request access to an open public record.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 3)

All city offices keeping and maintaining open public records shall provide suitable facilities to be used by any person desiring to inspect and/or copy an open public record. The office of the city clerk, being the principal recordkeeper of the city, shall be used as the principal office for providing access to and providing copies of open records to the maximum extent practicable. Requesters of records shall be referred to the office of the city clerk except when the requested records are not in that office and are available in another city office. In the event the records are in another city office, the requester must take those records to the city clerk’s office to be copied and to pay any fees required.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 4)

Any person requesting access to an open public record for purposes of inspecting or copying such record, or obtaining a copy thereof, shall abide by the procedures adopted by the governing body for record inspection and copying, including those procedures established by record custodians as authorized by the governing body. Such procedures shall be posted in each city office keeping and maintaining open public records.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 5)

The following city officers are hereby appointed as official custodians for purposes of the Kansas Open Records Act and are hereby charged with responsibility for compliance with that Act with respect to the hereinafter listed public records:

(a)   City Clerk - All public records kept and maintained in the city clerk’s office and all other public records not provided for elsewhere in this section.

(b)   City Treasurer - All public records not on file in the office of the city clerk and kept and maintained in the city treasurer’s office.

(c)   Chief of Police - All public records not on file in the office of the city clerk and kept and maintained in the city police department.

(d)   Fire Chief - All public records not on file in the office of the city clerk and kept and maintained in the city fire department.

(e)   City Attorney - All public records not on file in the office of the city clerk and kept and maintained in the city attorney’s office.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 6)

(a)   Each of the official custodians appointed in section 1-606 is hereby authorized to designate any subordinate officers or employees to serve as record custodian. Such record custodians shall have such duties and powers as are set out in the Kansas Open Records Act.

(b)   Whenever an official custodian shall appoint another person as a record custodian he or she shall notify the city clerk of such designation and the city clerk shall maintain a register of all such designations.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 7)

All city officers and employees appointed or designated as record custodians under this article shall: protect public records from damage and disorganization; prevent excessive disruption of the essential functions of the city; provide assistance and information upon request; insure efficient and timely action and response to all applications for inspection of public records; and shall carry out the procedures adopted by this city for inspecting and copying open public records.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 8)

(a)   All members of the public, in seeking access to, or copies of, a public record in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas Open Records Act, shall address their requests to the custodian charged with responsibility for the maintenance of the record sought to be inspected or copied.

(b)   Whenever any city officer or employee appointed or designated as a custodian under this article is presented with a request for access to, or copy of, a public record which record the custodian does not have in his or her possession and for which he or she has not been given responsibility to keep and maintain, the custodian shall so advise the person requesting the record. Further, the person making the request shall be informed as to which custodian the request should be addressed to, if such is known by the custodian receiving the request.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 9)

(a)   Where a request has been made for inspection of any open public record which is readily available to the record custodian, there shall be no inspection fee charged to the requester.

(b)   In all cases not covered by subsection (a) of this section, a record inspection fee shall be charged at the rate of $5 per hour per employee engaged in the record search. A minimum charge of $5 shall be charged for each such request.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 10)

(a)   A fee of $0.60 per page shall be charged for photocopying public records, such fee to cover the cost of labor, materials and equipment.

(b)   For copying any public records which cannot be reproduced by the city’s photocopying equipment, the requester shall be charged the actual cost to the city, including staff time, in reproducing such records.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 11)

All fees charged under this article shall be paid in advance to the city clerk for records inspected and/or copied.

(Ord. 469, Sec. 12)