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Pataskala records commission backs draft policy to charge for police video requests under HB 315
Summary
The Pataskala City Records Commission recommended that City Council consider a draft law-enforcement video production policy aligned with House Bill 315, allowing fees for locating, redacting and producing bodycam or other law-enforcement video subject to statutory limits and a victim-cost waiver.
The Pataskala City Records Commission voted to recommend that City Council consider a draft policy allowing the city to charge requesters for the production of law-enforcement video, a change enabled by House Bill 315, which took effect April 1, 2025.
Commission staff presented a draft video-records policy that tracks the new statutory provisions and sets procedures for providing cost estimates, collecting payment, and performing redactions. Jess, records commission staff, told commissioners that the law permits charging for “finding them, redacting them, basically, any cost associated” and that the statute allows fees up to $75 per hour with a $750 cap for a single records production.
“The estimate can only be—you the person can only pay 20% more than the estimate,” Jess said, describing the statute’s 20% overage rule. She also described the procedural timeline in the bill: after acknowledging a request, the city must provide a good-faith estimate within five business days and may begin production only after the requester pays the estimate.
Jess said the law also includes a victim-cost waiver. “If a crime victim is making the request of the video, you can just waive the cost,” she said, adding that agencies may choose to waive fees in individual cases but warned that flexible, inconsistent waiving could create fairness concerns.
Commissioners discussed practical challenges in estimating the time required for redactions and for accounting refunds when actual costs come in below the estimate. Commissioners also raised concerns about inconsistent treatment of news organizations and other requesters if the city applied selective fee waivers.
After discussion the commission voted to recommend that the draft policy be forwarded to City Council with the commission’s approval and directed staff to draft an ordinance for the council’s agenda. Commission members indicated the ordinance would be prepared for the next meeting and reported under committee meetings.
Next steps: staff will prepare an ordinance based on the draft policy and submit it to City Council for formal consideration and adoption to amend the city’s public records policy.
