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Commission updates county open-records policy to reflect state sunshine law changes
Summary
Ordinance 26-06 amends Cass County Code chapter 100 on open meetings and records to align county practice with recent amendments to state Chapter 610, allowing advance deposits for records requests and setting abandonment timelines tied to deposit size.
Cass County commissioners approved Ordinance 26-06 on April 29 to amend the county code on open meetings and public records, aligning local policy with recent changes to the Missouri Sunshine Law (Chapter 610).
Paul explained the state legislature clarified that agencies may require an advance deposit for records requests and that the deposit can cover staff time in addition to copying costs. He noted procedures for abandonment if the requester does not make the deposit within set timelines: 90 days for typical deposits and up to 150 days when the deposit exceeds $1,000. “So just I don't think the county's sunshine law policy has been updated since 2001,” Paul said, recommending the county adopt the changes to reflect recent state law. The commission approved the ordinance 3-0.
County staff cited recent time-consuming records requests that motivated the change; no amendments were offered. The update is administrative but intended to reduce unpaid, resource-intensive requests on county staff time.
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