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City reports 2,088 public records requests in 2024; staff hours and costs far exceed fees recovered
Summary
City staff told the Lake Stevens City Council that the city logged 2,088 public records requests in 2024, required an estimated 2,356 staff hours and recovered about $1,026 in fees, and officials warned about frequent high-volume and anonymous requesters.
Lake Stevens city staff reported to the City Council on Sept. 2 that the city received 2,088 public records requests in 2024 and spent an estimated 2,356 staff hours processing them, with total revenue collected of $1,026. "This is for reporting for 2024, and this is what we're required to do, to the joint legislative audit and review committee because we spend over a $100,000 in staff and legal costs," the records presenter said.
The report outlined that requests range from routine interagency inquiries to complex requests for body-worn camera footage and sensitive investigative records. Staff gave several examples of time- and labor-intensive requests: one closed request took 43 staff hours and cost the city about $3,500 in staff time while recouping $11.54; another took 39 staff hours and recouped $10.
The presenters said the city closed 1,400 requests within five business days and that 980 requests involved partial denials or redactions, largely tied to police investigative records. The records system portal cost the city about $16,000 in 2024 and legal consultation costs for outside counsel were about $28,000, the staff report said.
Staff described emerging trends: a small number of high-frequency requesters (one individual had submitted 50 requests and one recent requester filed 15 requests to the police department in 10 minutes), frequent anonymous requests submitted via encrypted email services, and increasing requests for personal-device records. "We have 1 request right now that's ongoing. This person has 50 requests into the city right now," the presenter said, describing the ongoing workload for a single requester.
Council members asked whether frequent requesters were known to other jurisdictions and were told some requests appear across multiple cities and that the city coordinates with other clerks and outside counsel when patterns emerge. Staff emphasized that public records obligations are highly litigated in Washington and that the city participates in trainings with the attorney general's office to keep practices current.
Looking ahead, staff said they are continuing customer-service work with requesters to identify records sought, and highlighted the recent hire of a records specialist who has helped with processing. No council action or vote was taken on the report; staff presented the data to inform council and to meet reporting obligations to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee.
The records presenters provided specific figures and examples for council review and said they will continue coordinating with legal counsel and peer jurisdictions as the volume and complexity of requests change.
