OPEN RECORDS/ RIGHT-TO-KNOW POLICY
MOUNT POCONO BOROUGH OPEN RECORDS OFFICER
Lori Noonan
To contact:
Mail: Lori Noonan, Secretary/Treasurer
Mount Pocono Borough
1361 Pocono Boulevard
Suite 100
Mount Pocono, PA 18344
Phone: 570-839-8436
Fax: 570-839-0981
E-mail: lori@mountpocono-pa.gov
General
All documents deemed public records shall be available for inspection, retrieval, and duplication at the Municipal Building during established business hours 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday with exception of weekends and holidays.
Requests
Requests shall be made in writing to the Borough’s Open Records Officer on the form provided by the Borough.
Fees
Paper copies shall be 25¢ per standard page 8.5” x 11” per side. The certification of a record is $1.00 per record. Specialized documents including, but not limited, to blue prints, color copies and non-standard sized documents shall be charged the actual cost of production. If mailing is requested, the cost of postage will be charged. The Borough shall require prepayment if the total fees are estimated to exceed $100.
Response
The Borough shall make a good-faith effort to provide the requested public record(s) as promptly as possible. The Open Records Officer shall cooperate with those requesting records to review and/or duplicate original Borough documents while taking reasonable measure to protect Borough documents from the possibility of theft, damage, and/or modification.
The Open Records Officer shall review all written requests for access to public records. As soon as possible, but no later than five business days, after receiving a written request to access public records, the Open Records Officer shall respond to such requests in writing consistent with Act 3 of 2008, the Right-to-Know Law.
If access to a record is denied, the response shall include a reason for denial as stipulated in Act 3 of 2008, the Right-to-Know Law.
For more information about the state of Pennsylvania’s Open Records law, please visit:
http://openrecords.state.pa.us.
Contact Information for Appeals
If a written request is denied or deemed denied, the requester may file an appeal in writing to Terry Mutchler, Executive Director, Office of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Plaza Level, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225.
Appeals Process
The appeal shall be filed within 15 business days of the mailing date of the Borough’s response or within 15 business days of a deemed denial. The appeal shall state the grounds upon which the requester asserts the records is a public record and shall address any grounds stated by the Borough for delaying or denying the request.
Open Records Right to Know Form: Click to print:
OPEN RECORDS/ RIGHT-TO-KNOW
REQUEST FORM
DATE REQUESTED:
REQUEST SUBMITTED BY: E-MAIL U.S. MAIL FAX IN-PERSON
NAME OF REQUESTER: ________________________________________
STREET ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________
CITY/STATE/COUNTY/ZIP (Required): _________________________________
TELEPHONE (Optional): ___________________________________
RECORDS REQUESTED:
*Provide as much specific detail as possible so the agency can identify the information.
DO YOU WANT COPIES? YES or NO
DO YOU WANT TO INSPECT THE RECORDS? YES or NO
DO YOU WANT CERTIFIED COPIES OF RECORDS? YES or NO
_______________________________________________________________________
FOR AGENCY USE ONLY
RIGHT TO KNOW OFFICER: _______________________________________
DATE RECEIVED BY THE AGENCY: ________________________________
AGENCY FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAY RESPONSE DUE: __________________
**Public bodies may fill anonymous verbal or written requests. If the requestor wishes to pursue the relief and remedies provided for in this Act, the request must be in writing. (Section 702.) Written requests need not include an explanation why information is sought or the intended uses of the information unless otherwise required by law. (Section 703.)