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Commission adopts public‑records rules with supervised‑copy amendment
Summary
Sweetwater commissioners adopted a public‑records resolution (26‑03‑CCCO2) that establishes uniform rules for records requests and adds a clarifying sentence to section 3F: if no supervision of off‑premises copying is necessary, no fee will be required.
The Sweetwater County Board of Commissioners on March 17 adopted Resolution 26‑03‑CCCO2 to set uniform public‑records rules and a fee framework for records requests, with a clarifying amendment to supervised copying.
County Clerk Swinson told commissioners the notice of intent had been published earlier and staff received two public comments online. The clerk explained that section 3F was adjusted after concerns that the language could be read to require staff to supervise photocopying; the amendment clarifies that supervision applies only when staff must take a record off county premises for reproduction and that "if no supervision is necessary, then no fee will be required." She said the change is intended to reassure the public that routine in‑office requests and use of personal cameras will not trigger extra fees.
Commissioners discussed how the policy parallels state guidance under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act and noted the intent is not to reduce transparency but to align fees with state standards and avoid charging taxpayers for commercially large reproduction requests. Commissioner Richards moved adoption with the 3F amendment and Commissioner Jones seconded; the motion passed unanimously.
Why it matters: The resolution standardizes how the county handles large or complex records requests and clarifies fee triggers for unusual off‑premises reproduction scenarios. Clerk Swinson emphasized that most daily requests and records already available online will not be affected.
What's next: The county will implement the amended public‑records rules and make information on fees and procedures available on the county website. The clerk said staff will continue to guide requesters toward publicly posted records when appropriate.
