County clerk flags problems with new public-records system; sheriff's department requests cause heavy workload

Liz Klein, Sawyer County clerk, told the Administration Committee that a new third-party public-records request platform has increased staff workload and introduced technical problems that are creating extra steps for departments and delaying responses.

Klein said the new system funnels requests through the clerk’s office and requires uploading documents and managing invoices; she said the program is “doubling” the work for the staff member who handles most requests. Klein told the committee the county should review the system before renewing the contract in December and consider a department-head discussion to evaluate whether the platform’s tracking benefits outweigh the extra staff time.

Klein described specific operational burdens: many of the county’s record requests concern the sheriff’s department, and those requests often require redaction of video and other sensitive information — work that is time-consuming for sheriff’s staff. She said the platform's technical issues sometimes prevent document retrieval and force employees to revert to email workflows.

Klein also told the committee that the county had complied with a statewide service that provides automated standing records requests (referred to in committee discussion as the “Sunlight Report”), and legal staff advised including the service on the county’s mailing list to avoid repeated daily record requests. Klein said the county now appends the Sunlight Report address to committee mailings so the group receives full agenda packets rather than prompting repeated requests.

Committee members asked for staff training refreshers and suggested a department-head meeting focused on how best to use the platform. Klein recommended tracking which departments receive the most requests so the county can measure staff time and costs. Committee members expressed sympathy for the sheriff’s workload and agreed to consider a review before contract renewal.

Direct quote from the clerk: "Talking to Desiree, who does.. mostly 99% of these, she is not liking this program. It's doubling her work." Klein also summarized legal advice about the automated requests: "it's not worth arguing with them about that because it's basically that's an open standing records request."