HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8805S I INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
No. 8805
Date:
November 7, 2006
SUBJECT: OPEN RECORDS /PUBLIC INFORMATION RESPONSE UPDATE
The purpose of this report is to provide an annual update to City Council on the management of open
records and public information requests.
The Records and Information Management Office performs the receipt, distribution and tracking of public
information requests received by the City, with systematic review for release performed by the City
Attorney's Office. The mission of the City's open records /public information program is to ensure the
security and integrity of information being released from the City and to make the City more responsive to
the public.
The volume of requests for public information received by the City continues to grow, up over 39 % from
last fiscal year. May 2006 exceeded all previous months on record. There are three primary reasons for
this increase.
1. The public and press continue to grow in their awareness of; and interest in, the provisions of the
Public Information Act. This is a clearly quantifiable, statewide trend.
2. Requests not previously recognized as naturally falling under the provisions and obligations of the
Act are now being handled with proper attention and care.
3. Requests for information previously handled casually by departments are now being centrally
logged and tracked with increased efficiency, including the use of facsimile and electronic scanning.
The Records and Information Management Office strives to ensure not only basic statutory compliance,
but also measurable efficiency, in responding to public information requests. Public information requests
vary in volume, scope, and complexity, and the maximum initial response time allowed by law is ten
business days. Records Management practices same -day distribution for all requests received during
business hours, assists departments in calculating and recovering allowable costs, and actively follows up
with departments after six business days for a status report on all incomplete requests to ensure a response
from the City within its statutory deadline of 10 business days.
Attached is a breakdown of departmental public information requests received by the City for Fiscal
2005/2006, with rounded percentages. Also included are monthly, average and comparative totals. This
report is submitted for informational purposes. Should you have any questions, please contact Doug
Jones, Records Manager, at (817) 392 -2437.
Charles R. Boswell
City Manager
Attachment
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
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City of Fort Worth
Public Information Request Statistics
FY2005 -2006
Request Volume
Police
IT Solutions (PD)
Development
Fire
Environmental Mgmt.
Human Resources
Code Compliance
Health
Municipal Court
Water
IT Solutions
TPW
Finance
Engineering
{,. 'ty Secretary's Office
mmunity Relations
CMO
Public Events
Retirement Office
Legal
PACS
Housing
Planning
Economic Development
Aviation
Budget
Equipment Services
Library
2354
43% 2005
1228
22%
481
9%
470
9% 2006
350
6%
298
5%
228
4%
174
3%
85
2%
81
1%
64
1%
63
1%
57
1%
34
1%
33
1%
23
<1%
23
<1%
15
<1%
12
<1%
12
<1%
11
<1%
11
<1%
10
<1%
9
<1%
7
<1%
4
<1%
1
<1%
1
<1%
Totals by Month
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
FY 2006
FY 2005
Percentage Increase
Daily Avg.
445
21.2 day
392
19.6 day
333
15.9 day
431
21.6 day
450
22.5 day
517
22.5 day
503
25.2 day
531
24.1 day
490
23.3 day
439
22.0 day
463
20.1 day
506
25.3 day
Mid -Year
Daily
Total
Avg.
5500
21.9
3965
15.7
39%
PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS
soon
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
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