Request By:
Mr. Gilbert Starck
Chairman
Pleasure Ridge Park Fire District
4500 Kerrick Lane
Louisville, Kentucky 40258
Opinion
Opinion By: Steven L. Beshear, Attorney General; Carl Miller, Assistant Attorney General
Larry R. Mott has appealed to the Attorney General, pursuant to KRS 61.880, stating that he requested to inspect certain public records in your custody by letter dated March 24, 1981 and that he received no response. The records are described as "all receipts, cancelled checks, vouchers, or other documents which support or justify the reimbursement of Reginald K. Back the amount of $75.00 which occurred on June 20, 1979." Mr. Mott made a similar request for records involving payments to Mr. Back on 17 other occasions.
OPINION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
The only fault on your part which we can see at this time is that you did not respond to Mr. Mott's request in writing as required by KRS 61.872. The description of the records requested is not specific, but if Mr. Back was paid by check, you should be able to allow Mr. Mott to inspect the cancelled checks at least. If you have other records showing why Mr. Back was paid the stated amounts on the stated dates, you should make those records available to Mr. Mott. If no such records exist, you should so state and send a copy to the Attorney General.
Apparently, what Mr. Mott wants to find out is why the stated sums were paid to Mr. Back. He seems to have already gained the information that the sums were paid on the stated dates.
It is the opinion of the Attorney General that you have not complied with the Open Records Law, KRS 61.870-61.884, in that you failed to respond in writing to the written request for inspection of records.
A copy of this opinion is being sent to the requester as directed by statute.