Please email all records requests to cwl_records@westlinnoregon.gov. Requests may also be submitted via mail to: 22500 Salamo Road, West Linn, OR 97068.
Oregon Public Records Law requires the City of West Linn to publish a written procedure for public records requests. This administrative policy fulfills this requirement.
This policy supersedes all previously issued policies regarding public records requests.
1. Public records requests must be submitted in writing, either on paper or in electronic format, to the City Recorder.
2. The City Recorder shall review the request to ensure that it does not fall under an exception to state public records law disclosure requirements.
3. If the requested material is not exempt, the City Recorder shall then consult with the City department receiving the public records request to determine the appropriate medium in which to provide the requested material, the time required to find the materials requested, and the cost to the city of providing the requested materials. The request will be fulfilled as soon as is feasible consistent with the performance of regular staff assignments in a timely manner.
4. Costs to the city shall be calculated as follows:
a. Time costs for employees shall be calculated as directed in Section 1.3 of the West Linn Master Fees and Charges Schedule.
b. Copying costs shall be calculated at: 1 to 10 pages $15.00; each additonal pages will be billed at $.25. Larger copies of documents that must be custom-copied shall be charged at the actual cost for making such copies. To recieve copies on a compact disc the cost shall be calculated at $35.00 for the first (CD) and $15 for each additional copy following. Clerical research shall be calculated at $15.00 per 15 minutes. (Staff time may be charged regardless of whether copies are provided for requests that are extraordinary and would significantly disrupt the regular discharge of staff person duties)
5. The City Recorder shall then send a written response to the requestor, with the following information:
a. The records that can be produced in response to the request, if known, or a list of the type of records that will be searched for the information requested.
b. An estimate of the cost to the city of obtaining the records requested. If the cost cannot be ascertained with certainty, the letter shall provide an upper estimate of the expected costs to the city of obtaining the records requested.
c. An estimate of the time necessary for the city to provide the requested information to the requestor.
6. If the request has any costs to the city, the requestor shall be required to sign a statement agreeing to pay for the records prior to their delivery to the requestor. Once the requestor has signed the statement, the city will begin fulfilling the public records request.
7. Because of the possibility of surreptitious removal or addition of documents to a city file, public inspection of the file is generally discouraged. It shall be allowed if the public file is voluminous and/or not easily copied, and if the inspection of the documents can be completed under the observation or supervision of City staff.
8. Requests for inspection of city records in audio format shall generally be fulfilled with the provision of a copy of the material on an electronic medium.
9. Any payment by the requestor shall be due prior to receipt of the materials requested from the City.
10. The procedures and costs required by this policy may be waived by the City Manager or a Department Head (for a request to the relevant Department) based upon a finding that the waiver is in the public interest. The waiver may be granted based upon application by the public records requestor, or may be granted without such a request by the City Manager or Department Head.
