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Farmers Branch adopts policy to limit repetitive public‑information requests after council amendment
Summary
Council adopted a revised policy (Resolution 2026‑093) to manage repetitive or high‑volume Public Information Act requests, removing a staff‑only revision clause after debate about council oversight and staff workload.
After extended discussion about staff workload and the potential for requests to be used abusively, the Farmers Branch City Council adopted a revised policy governing responses to repetitive or resource‑intensive Public Information Act (PIA) requests.
City counsel and staff explained the operational nature of the policy and the limits imposed by state law on fees and recoverable costs. Counsel said the policy provides guidance on estimates, when deposit requests may be required and how staff can manage large requests under the Texas Government Code. Council members expressed concern about staff time and unpaid labor in fulfilling extensive records requests.
Mayor Terry Lynn described a recent experience supplying 1,430 pages of notes and the time costs imposed on employees and the city attorney: "I recently turned in 1,430 pages of notes that were requested ... I did have longer than that. I provided that information. But 1, nobody compensated me for my time." Those remarks framed the council’s interest in protecting staff resources while preserving public access.
An initial motion to adopt the policy as presented failed. Council then moved to approve Resolution 2026‑093 with the deletion of a sentence that would have allowed staff to adopt future operational revisions without additional council action; that amended motion passed. Councilmembers said the change preserves council oversight while giving staff a framework to manage burdensome requests.
Staff said the adopted policy is intended as an internal operational guideline that complies with the Texas Public Information Act; it does not change statutory public‑access rights but clarifies how the city will provide estimates, request deposits when authorized by law and prioritize staff time in response to high‑volume requests.
