Franklin County adopts formal Documentation Request Policy setting copy fees and retention period

The Franklin County Commission on April 20 adopted a Documentation Request Policy that centralizes public‑records requests at the Commission office and sets fees and retention rules for produced materials. Chairman Barry Moore said the policy directs requests to the Commission office at 405 N. Jackson Avenue and allows copy fees of $1.00 per page with a $3.00 minimum per request.

The policy, presented and moved for adoption by Commissioner Joseph Baldwin and seconded by Commissioner Grayson Murray, also authorizes an hourly research fee for requests that take substantial staff time to locate or that require redaction to remove legally protected information. It specifies that documents or records made available for pickup will be retained for 60 days, after which the request will need to be resubmitted.

The county statement included in the policy notes that "FCC is permitted by state law to charge fees in connection with processing public-records requests" and warns some requests may involve extensive staff time or legal review. The commission approved the policy unanimously.

Why it matters: The policy standardizes how Franklin County will process public-records requests, clarifying fees and timelines for requesters and establishing a formal process for staff. The change follows routine administrative oversight noted earlier in the meeting; Chairman Moore thanked County Administrator Leah Mansell and Assistant Administrator Jessica Thompson for work that produced a clean ADECA Highway Safety audit, which the board referenced in opening remarks.

Next steps: The adopted policy is effective as revised April 13, 2026, and county staff will implement the procedures for routing, pricing and retaining requested documents. The Commission did not specify a separate appeals path in the meeting record.