Open records requests surge 90% in 2025; city reviews policy and digital access plans

City court clerk Miss Hickman (S10) reported a sharp rise in open‑records requests: 221 requests received in 2025, up 90% from 116 in 2024. Hickman said 71% of requests have come from outside Oak Ridge and that planning & development and the police department each handled about 78 requests.

Hickman said the current open‑records policy requires a requester be a Tennessee resident and noted that expanding request eligibility would likely create exponential increases. The clerk’s office is sending records electronically where possible to reduce costs and staff time and plans to accelerate digitization through Laserfiche records management software to provide public access to older records.

Hickman said the office will review the open‑records policy (last overview in 2017) with the city attorney and identify a records contact in each department to streamline request handling.

Why it matters: A sustained increase in records requests strains a small records office and has staffing and potential budget implications; the city is exploring software and policy changes to reduce burdens while preserving transparency.

Next steps: The clerk will review the open‑records policy with the city attorney, pursue Laserfiche implementation and coordinate with departments to create designated request contacts to speed turnaround and reduce staff labor costs.