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Council advances first reading of ordinance to bar commercial use of town public records
Summary
Council introduced General Ordinance No. 2 (2026) to prohibit using town-provided electronic public-records information for commercial purposes, citing Indiana Code; the ordinance passed first reading on a voice vote.
The North Manchester Town Council on April 1 moved forward with the first reading of General Ordinance No. 2 (2026), which would prohibit the commercial use of public records provided by the town in electronic form.
A town staff member (recorded reading the ordinance language) said the ordinance is intended to stop requests that effectively enable data mining or commercial resale of customer or employee information. The proposed text cites Indiana Code provisions governing access to public records and notes that a political subdivision may prescribe conditions on the use of electronic information. Under the proposal, recipients who use town-provided electronic information for commercial purposes could be denied access for up to 10 years; routine costs for paper and color copies are described in the ordinance language.
Council members discussed the frequency of commercial-use-style requests and the burden such requests place on town staff. After discussion the council moved and seconded the ordinance and took a voice vote; the transcript records the motion carrying on first reading. The council did not yet adopt the ordinance on final reading during the excerpt provided.
