Waterville adopts fees for police video copies under new Ohio law

On March 10 the Waterville City Council adopted Resolution 12-25, amending the city’s public-records policy to allow charging an estimated production cost for copies of police video records consistent with recent state law changes.

John, the city administrator, explained that Ohio House Bill 315 permits local governments to require payment of an estimated production cost before producing a copy of a video public record. "This new law would allow us to provide someone with an estimate… it cannot exceed $750 or $75 an hour," he said, and added that the cost of media (CD or thumb drive) would be recovered and is estimated at $10.

During discussion council members raised operational concerns: reviewing and redacting video can be time-consuming, and small departments may need to pull staff from patrol to perform reviews. One council member suggested a higher cap for extensive requests; the administrator said state law caps the city at $75 per hour and $750 total and that the city may charge less but not more.

Council members asked whether a requester later cleared in court could seek a refund for charges; the administrator said the city is providing records and the statute does not create a refund mechanism tied to criminal adjudications. Council members also discussed the practice of using two reviewers to reduce redaction errors on sensitive material.

The council moved and approved the resolution by roll call. The resolution formalizes the city’s ability to require an upfront estimate and charge production time and media costs for police video records in line with House Bill 315.