Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Records topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stanley council reinstates public‑records fee schedule after staff describe heavy workload
Summary
The council voted 4-1 to reinstate a public‑records paywall and fee schedule (hourly rate $18 after the first hour, plus special IT and legal fees) after the Town Clerk and Finance Director described substantial staff time and IT costs involved in processing complex requests.
The Stanley Town Council voted 4‑1 on May 5 to reinstate a public‑records fee schedule after staff described the operational burden of fulfilling broad requests.
Council Member Corey Kelly introduced a review of the public‑records policy, saying the town had previously removed a paywall and agreed to revisit the policy after 90–120 days. Town Clerk Olga McGinnis and Finance Director Belinda Robinson told the council that fulfilling complex records requests requires coordination across departments and pulls staff away from core duties. The transcript notes the town’s IT rate estimate for complex requests is at least two hours at $150 per hour; Finance Director Robinson said staff time is diverting resources from accounts payable, payroll and state reporting during audit and budget season.
Town Manager Steven Denton said the volume of requests has placed substantial stress on salaried staff. The Town Attorney advised that state statute permits charging reasonable fees for public records production; Council Member Brendan Sweeney cited a School of Government interpretation suggesting staff time during normal business hours cannot be billed, but that point was debated and not resolved at the meeting.
Council Member Kelly moved to reinstate the prior fee structure, including an hourly rate of $18.00 after the first hour and special fees for IT and legal costs. The motion carried 4‑1, with Council Member Brendan Sweeney opposed.
