Lacey spent $440,000 fulfilling public records requests in 2020
The total number of public records requests to the city of Lacey fell in 2020, but the city still responded to more than 2,000 requests during the pandemic.
Requests fell to 2,300 in 2020 from 2,700 in 2019, according to data shared during a Lacey City Council committee last week. Despite the drop, requests are becoming more complex, which means the average city cost to fulfill the requests has inched higher to $190 per request from $140, said deputy city clerk Elissa Fontaine.
The total amount for 2020 was about $440,000.
All rolled into the average cost: estimated staff time, legal review and the software and hardware needed to maintain records, Fontaine said. The city largely eats that cost because most requests are fulfilled electronically and the city doesn’t charge for anything less than $5, she said.
Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder asked what records requests costs are going to look like when Lacey police start using body cameras.
City Manager Scott Spence said the city could require as many as two full-time equivalent employees to handle the work of processing the requests and editing videos.
The city also was the subject of one Public Records Act lawsuit last year after records were requested for the Nisqually Jail and its COVID-19 policies. The city has a contract with the jail to house misdemeanor offenders. Although the city was largely cleared of wrongdoing in the case, the city did have to pay a penalty of $2,725, Fontaine said.
2020 records request data
▪ Most common requests: city emails and correspondence; building plans, permits and code violations; arrest records, collision reports, police investigations; and documents tied to Joint Animal Services. Although Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Thurston County jointly contribute to the Animal Services budget, Lacey is responsible for the administrative side of the agency.
▪ Total requests: 2,315. Seventy-three percent were fulfilled electronically, 22 percent were closed with no responsive records and 81 percent were closed within five business days.
▪ Top request types: Individuals, insurers, governments, organizations, law firms.
▪ Most requests by city department: Police, 1,972; city, 243; Joint Animal Services, 100.
▪ Total records request estimate for 2021: 2,448.
This story was originally published August 28, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
