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Board hears that 21 open data requests — many from out-of-state companies — are straining staff time
Summary
District legal lead told the board there are 21 public‑data requests in process, many from out‑of‑state data companies; the district is estimating labor costs up front and asking requesters whether they intend to pay to reduce staff burden.
Director Moen updated the board that legal costs tied to public‑data requests this month were $53 and that the district currently has 21 requests in process, three of which are new since the last meeting. Moen said many of the requests appear to come from data research companies that are not local and that processing them is taking significant staff time.
Board members asked whether the district could limit requests or ask for verification; Moen said open-records law permits broad requests and that the district cannot place preconditions on who may submit a request. The district has begun estimating labor and processing costs and presenting that estimate to requesters to determine whether they intend to pay before staff completes the work. Moen said that approach has reduced some follow‑through from requesters.
Board discussion noted 18 of the recent requests came from companies outside the state, creating an "onerous" workload for local staff who must redact private data and coordinate with legal counsel. The board asked staff to continue refining the intake and cost-estimate process and to monitor the workload impact on district operations.
