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Commission hears annual public-records report; public criticizes redaction practices and staff says time is not tracked
Summary
City staff presented the 2025 annual report on public-records requests; commissioners praised the new detail but learned departments do not track hours. Public commenter Jay Garfinkle criticized attorney redactions and urged more transparency; staff said exemptions are cited and appeals are available.
City staff presented the Alameda Open Government Commission with the 2025 annual report on public-records requests, prompting questions about data, staff workload and how the city explains redactions.
Commissioners said the new report format, which breaks down requests and department responses, establishes a baseline for future comparisons. City staff described the counting method: 594 unique 'next request' cases were recorded; the per-department tally reached 860 because multi-department requests are counted for each responding department. Staff also said there were 44 'not fulfilled' cases —…
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