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Commission adopts updated public-records fee schedule to comply with state law
Summary
Deputy City Manager Jeremy Jones presented Resolution 10627 to align Great Falls' public-records procedures with House Bill 100; the commission adopted the resolution 5-0, extending free staff time from 30 to 60 minutes and allowing charges up to $25/hour thereafter plus a 3% credit card fee.
The Great Falls City Commission on June 2 adopted Resolution 10627, updating the city's public records request procedures and fee schedule to comply with changes enacted by the 2025 Montana Legislature.
Deputy City Manager Jeremy Jones told the commission the change was required by House Bill 100 (codified at Mont. Code Ann. §2-6-1006), which becomes effective July 1, 2026. The new policy provides the first hour of staff time at no charge (up from 30 minutes under the existing policy) and allows agencies to charge up to $25 per hour for time beyond the first hour. Jones also said a 3% credit card processing fee will be applied to online payments through the city's JustFOIA portal, consistent with Mont. Code Ann. §7-6-617.
Jones cited recent local records activity to contextualize the change: the city processed 245 public records requests in 2024 and 325 requests in 2025, with fees collected of $264 and $402 respectively. Staff estimated the fiscal impact of the expanded free-hour threshold would be minor.
Mayor Cory Reeves opened the public hearing, received no public comment and closed the hearing before the commission voted. Commissioner Casey Schreiner seconded Commissioner Shannon Wilson's motion to adopt Resolution 10627; the motion carried 5-0.
Adoption of the resolution brings the city into statutory compliance before the July 1, 2026 effective date. City staff will implement the updated procedure through the City Clerk's Office and the JustFOIA portal.
