Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Records topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Crook County caps public‑records charge for Primeville Review request after debate over precedent
Summary
The board agreed Nov. 6 to cap the estimated fee for a public-records request from the Primeville Review at one hour of the lowest staff rate, after commissioners debated precedent, burden on staff, and public interest in the records.
The Crook County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 6 discussed and approved a capped‑fee approach for a public‑records request from the Primeville Review.
County staff explained a request from Justin Alderman, interim managing editor of the Primeville Review, sought meeting‑activity data from the county Zoom account for June 1–Nov. 1. Staff estimated 1.5 hours of IT time and an initial deposit of $172.50; the requester asked for a fee waiver. Staff advised the board the county has discretion to reduce or waive fees when doing so serves the public interest and suggested several options, including capping the charge at one hour of the lowest public‑records staff rate.
Commissioners debated precedent, the administrative burden of repeated requests, and whether to treat news media requests differently. Some commissioners said routine requests that require only simple exports should be treated as public service; others warned against setting a precedent that would require future waivers.
The board moved to reduce the estimated fee for the request by capping it at one hour of the lowest staff rate in the county’s fee schedule; the motion was seconded and approved. The board directed staff to consider a broader policy for public‑records fees and waivers at a future work session.
Justin Alderman addressed the board during public comment, saying he had intended to limit the request to Crook County Fair Board meetings and that generating meeting‑activity reports from Zoom accounts can be done quickly. "I've done these reports from business Zoom accounts before, and they literally take seconds," he said. Alderman said the request supports reporting on public meetings and argued the public interest weighed in favor of fee relief.
The county noted the request’s scope may require account access and validation work by IT staff; staff also flagged the need to track repeated requesters when considering waivers. The board did not announce any change to the fee schedule at the meeting; it approved the capped fee for this request and asked staff and the board attorney to bring back a recommended fee/waiver policy.
