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Issaquah reports rise in public records requests; city implements fee schedule and seeks data-driven improvements
Summary
City staff reported a rise in public records requests, improved fulfillment metrics, and the recent implementation of a public records fee schedule; staff said preliminary 2024 data show some delays linked to payment processing and noted ongoing records-management and cybersecurity work.
Tammy Miller, the city’s public records analyst, briefed the Issaquah City Council on Jan. 21 about the city’s public records program, changes since the adoption of a fee schedule and preliminary trends from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) data.
Miller said the city processed roughly 1,800 records requests in the most recent year and that police records remain the most requested category. She told council staff have improved speed and prioritization: "We've gotten over that 80% mark of requests fulfilled within 5 business days," she said, while noting preliminary 2024 data show a drop toward roughly 70%, a change Miller attributed in part to delays caused by payment processing for fee‑based requests.
The council adopted a public records policy and related fee schedule in early 2024 and operationalized online payments in March of that year; body‑worn camera redaction and related processes followed in April. Miller said the city is working to centralize records and reduce duplication by migrating shared drives into SharePoint, and she flagged cybersecurity and data governance as ongoing priorities tied to records disclosure times.
Councilmembers asked for additional breakdowns — including request cost distributions and an internal metric that separates staff processing time from requester payment lag — and encouraged staff to continue regional coordination on sensitive-data management and cyber practices. Miller said she will provide additional charts on fee distributions and continue dialogue with peer agencies.
The presentation was informational; no council action was requested.
