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Stanley council rescinds public records fee schedule and directs staff to get additional meeting-recording quotes
Summary
Council members voted 3-2 to rescind the town's public records request fee schedule and unanimously directed staff to obtain more quotes for audio/video recording systems after staff presented lower-cost camera options; debate centered on transparency versus administrative cost and capacity.
The Stanley Town Council on Jan. 13 voted 3-2 to rescind the town’s public records request fee schedule and unanimously directed staff to obtain additional quotes for audio and video recording equipment for council meetings.
Councilmember Brendan Sweeney argued that removing the fee would promote transparency and allow residents to hear an unfiltered record of meetings. The fee schedule under discussion charged $18 per hour for public records work after an initial four-hour period, and staff noted that specialized IT support and legal review can cost up to $150 per hour.
Town Manager Steven Denton and legal counsel cautioned that most requests (about 95%) are handled within the free four-hour window and that eliminating fees could create a burden on staff and taxpayers, including requests from outside the area. Legal counsel also said the current policy language needed clarification about whether the first four hours are included in billed time.
Council Member Corey Kelly proposed a 120-day trial period to track request volumes, staff hours, and origins of requests before making a permanent decision; the council nonetheless approved rescinding the fee schedule (motion by Brendan Sweeney; seconded by Corey Kelly; vote 3-2; opposed: Leigh Anna Helms, Marsha Miskelly).
On meeting recordings, staff reported prior acoustic challenges and presented current vendor quotes of $3,700 for a single-camera system and $4,700 for a two-camera setup with ceiling-mounted cameras feeding into a laptop using free OBS software; microphones attached to the cameras would capture audio, though not at the fidelity of dedicated per-speaker microphones. Earlier estimates for a higher-end, acoustically comprehensive system had ranged from about $30,000 to more than $100,000.
The council unanimously approved a motion by Council Member Brendan Sweeney, seconded by Council Member Chase Hannifin, to obtain 2–3 additional quotes and return with recommendations.
Next steps recorded in the minutes include obtaining more quotes on recording equipment and a council review of the public records request outcomes after a proposed trial period; the minutes did not specify a start date for the trial or the metrics the council will use to evaluate the rescission.
