Requests good, not perfect, audit says

By Keri Brenner | The Olympian • Published June 17, 2008

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OLYMPIA – Getting copies of public records in Washington is a fairly efficient process, but it could be better, the state Auditor's Office said Monday.

State requests

Here are the 10 public records requested of 10 largest cities, 10 largest counties and 10 government agencies in the state:

1. Copy of sexual harassment policy

2 . Copies of 2005 W-2s for top five highest-paid employees

3. Copy of travel policy

4. Travel vouchers for selected employees from July to December 2005

5. May 2006 work-issued cell phone records for top non-elected official

6. Vacation records for top non-elected financial officer for January to June 2006

7. Job description for information technology director

8. Out-of-state travel costs and voucher for one individual from July 2005 to June 2006.

9. Expenses for all employee awards and honors between December 2005 and January 2006.

10. Copy of the phone directory.

Thurston County's performance

Eight of 10 questions answered sufficiently; two redirected to other offices. Of the eight answered, five took longer than the average; three took less than the average.

The report criticizes Thurston County's "decentralized" public records system, but said the county did well on having no problems with redactions (blacked-out sections).

"No one was really lax, but some agencies did better than others," said Mindy Chambers, spokeswoman for state Auditor Brian Sonntag.

Chambers was referring to a yearlong performance audit of 30 counties, cities and government agencies done by Sonntag's office.

The audit judged how well they responded to the same 10 requests for public records ranging from travel vouchers to job descriptions to phone books.

"It was pretty rigorous," Chris Cortines, deputy director of performance audits, told the Thurston County Commission.

Cortines praised Thurston County's quicker-than-average response to three requests, but noted the county was slower than most on five of the questions.

Chambers said the project revealed that local public records officers could use more training. Cities and counties that had a centralized public records request system and strong Web sites, such as Vancouver and Whatcom County, were the most efficient in responding to the public, she said.

"The intent was to give agencies and governments a road map on how to do this the best way they can," Chambers said.

Thurston County's response to the project has been mixed this past year. At one point, Commissioner Diane Oberquell called it a "sting" operation, drawing public fire from Sonntag.

At another time, state Treasurer Robin Hunt said she objected to auditor's staff members saying her office should funnel its public records requests to the county commissioners.

"As an independently elected official, I don't report to the county commissioners," Hunt said in a letter included in the final report.

Similarly, Don Krupp, the county's chief administrative officer, objected to the state's use of the word "non-responsive" in describing the county's work on two questions, saying it was "inaccurate and erroneous."

"Thurston County did respond legally and appropriately to both of the specific requests," Krupp said.

Keri Brenner covers Thurston County for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-754-5435 or kbrenner@theolympian.com.