Commissioners hold first reading of public-records request ordinance; form and process questions raised
Summary
The board conducted the first reading of an ordinance to establish a public records request policy and discussed whether a standard form will be used, department responsibilities, and when legal retainer coverage applies; a second reading is scheduled for the 16th.
Brown County commissioners conducted a first reading of an ordinance establishing a formal public-records request policy and discussed how requests will be processed across departments.
The chair read the ordinance title as an item for first reading and said the policy is intended to clarify who handles requests and ensure compliance with the law. A commissioner asked, "The request made to the commissioner's office, are we gonna have an actual form for them to fill out?" and the board discussed whether a single standardized request form would be used versus department-level handling.
Staff said departments routinely handle requests and that higher-effort or unusual FOIA requests may fall outside existing retainer coverage and require additional attorney time. The chair said the ordinance is a first reading and that a second reading will be set for the next meeting on the 16th, with the policy posted online in draft form ahead of that meeting.
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