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County staff say they will respond to large public-records request; 10-day clock reset after clarification
Summary
County staff told the court they are calculating fees and consulting outside counsel on a broad public information request; staff said clarifications from the requester reset the 10-business-day response window and that they will provide a fee estimate if costs exceed permitted thresholds.
County staff informed Freestone County commissioners April 10 that they are responding to a broad public-information request and have engaged outside counsel and the district attorney for guidance on scope and fees.
The Chair said staff reached out to outside counsel Mike Dixon, who has handled similar requests for the county, and the district attorney for advice. Staff said they are collecting records across multiple county email accounts and that the search is large. The Chair explained the county will calculate allowable copying and search fees consistent with attorney general guidance and provide a quote to the requester.
Staff noted that clarifications from the requester reset the 10-business-day response period. "So the 10 days... we have until the seventeenth," the Clerk said during the meeting, reflecting the adjusted timeline after the requester provided clarifying information. Staff also warned that if estimated fees exceed a prescribed amount (discussed in the meeting as $40 for internal thresholds), the matter would be returned to the court or require further review.
Commissioners discussed the workload implications and that offices responding to the request will need to summarize and itemize fees. No formal legal determination or county action was recorded in the transcript beyond staff's statement that they will prepare a fee estimate and proceed under attorney-general guidance.
