Members of the Augusta Commission have approved a revised policy for submitting requests for information under Georgia’s Open Records law.
A copy of the new policy is available here.
The policy begins by defining its purpose: Establishment of a legal and systematic response and completion of Open Records Request (ORR) made to city of the Augusta, Georgia.
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Commissioner Dennis Willliams said, “There was some confusion about the process and the timeline. We just needed a clear understanding and procedure, one that every department understands and knows about.”
Commissioner Jordan Johnson said the county needs to champion transparency whenever possible.
“So having someone on board to process open records requests is going to be important, especially since we’re seeing a rise in the number of requests,” Johnson said.
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That was one of the reasons cited by Mayor Hardie Davis as the motivation for developing a new procedure.
Earlier this year, the local news media had to force a hearing in Superior Court to get the information on finalists for a new fire chief. The mayor’s office also received multiple requests for records on Davis’ credit card account.
One of the biggest changes is how to submit a request. Currently, requests are sent to the individual or office that has the records. Under the new policy, the county will have an Open Records Officer. All requests will go to that individual, who will collect the requested documents and information from the specific county office.
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Commissioner Williams said, “That person concentrates on the request, so that will be their primary responsibility. It’s one central location to send your request and one central location to contact.”
Administrator Odie Donald has been asked for the job description for the position and a timeline for the hiring process.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
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