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Clerk warns of large FOIA request; commissioners call state Office of Political Practices for guidance
Summary
Prairie County staff described a wide-ranging public-records request that could span multiple years and phone/email records. The clerk estimated prior similar requests cost roughly $467 and recommended charging statutory copying and administrative fees; commissioners called the state Commissioner of Political Practices office to check procedures and complaint history.
Clerk and staff told the board that a broad public-records request discovered in the commissioner's email system appeared to reach back several years and could entail hundreds of pages and attachments.
Clerk Sherry Robertson explained the administrative burden of locating, scanning and printing older emails and phone records, and referenced a prior FOIA request that cost the requester about $467 in paper copies and administrative fees. Staff noted that some phone records would require screenshots and that extracting phone-call detail could be time-consuming. Robertson said the office had been charging administrative fees for hourly staff time plus copy costs and planned to provide an itemized receipt if requested.
Because the requester (named in the request materials) had lodged prior complaints with the state Commissioner of Political Practices, the commissioners called the state office for guidance. The state phone menu and guidance were noted in the meeting record; staff said they would acknowledge receipt of the FOIA request, estimate costs, and seek additional narrowing of the request if necessary to keep the burden reasonable.
Commissioners asked staff to prepare an administrative response and to work with the county attorney where necessary; staff said they would follow statute and provide a cost estimate to the requester.
