Opinion
Opinion By: Andy Beshear,Attorney General;Gordon Slone,Assistant Attorney General
Open Records Decision
The questions presented in this appeal are whether the City of Owenton (the City) failed to respond to repeated open records requests and whether the City can require a requester with a place of business in the same county to inspect public records at the City Hall. While we cannot definitively resolve the issue of whether the requester received the City's responses to each of his open records requests, the letters provided by the City tend to make it more likely than not that the City timely mailed appropriate responses to the requester. The other issue presented by this appeal is whether the City can require the requester to inspect the public records at the City Hall. As the requester uses an address in Owen County we find that the requester may be required to inspect the records at the Owenton City Hall before requesting copies of the records.
Gerald T. Kemper, attorney at law, filed an appeal with this office by letter dated November 29, 2016. In his appeal, Mr. Kemper provided a letter, dated November 9, 2016, wherein he requested certain records of the City of Owenton and asked to be advised of the costs to provide for delivery of the documents. By a second letter dated November 17, 2016, Mr. Kemper made a request for other records from the City and again requested to be advised of the costs for delivery of the records. In his letter of appeal, November 29, 2016, Mr. Kemper stated that: "This office has received no response either written or oral from the City." Mr. Kemper supplemented his appeal with a letter dated December 12, 2016, where he states that "As of the mailing date of this letter the required response from the agency has not been received." The City of Owenton faxed a response to the Office of Attorney General on December 9, 2016, and attached two letters to the fax. Both letters were addressed to Mr. Kemper at the Owenton address on his letterhead and envelope. The first letter, dated November 15, 2016, stated:
In response to your open records request dated 11/09/2016, and per KRS 61.872(3) the requested records are available for your inspection Monday thru Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. -- 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. -- 3 p.m. at City Hall, 220 South Main Street, Owenton, KY 40359.
The second letter attached to the fax was dated November 18, 2016, and stated:
In response to your open records request dated 11/17/2016, and per KRS 61.872(3) the requested records are available for your inspection Monday thru Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. -- 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. -- 3 p.m. at City Hall, 220 South Main Street, Owenton, KY 40359.
The City's response to the appeal stated that "These letters were mailed on the dates written by first class mail. The City has not denied Mr. Kemper's request for open records."
Mr. Kemper filed another letter, dated December 19, 2016, with this office, stating:
Enclosed Correspondence from the agency. Them [ sic ] information requested was for copies of archived information with agreement to pay for costs of copies and mailing.
This agency and its personnel is [ sic ] hostile to the request and personal inspection is not advisable. The statute authorizes requests for copies of documents and payment for appropriate charges.
The agency is in violation of the subject statute and attempting to stall for time in avoidance of providing information sensitive to agency employees.
The question of whether a requester can be required to inspect public records at an agency's location, rather than having the records first mailed to him, is determined by KRS 61.872(3):
(3) A person may inspect the public records:
(a) During the regular office hours of the public agency; or
(b) By receiving copies of the public records from the public agency through the mail. The public agency shall mail copies of the public records to a person whose residence or principal place of business is outside the county in which the public records are located after he precisely describes the public records which are readily available within the public agency. If the person requesting the public records requests that copies of the records be mailed, the official custodian shall mail the copies upon receipt of all fees and the cost of mailing.
In 15-ORD-195, this office interpreted KRS 61.872(3) in regards to whether an agency could require a requester to inspect the records at the agency's location when the requester either lived or worked in the county where the agency is located:
Substantively speaking, if the city afforded [the requester] an opportunity to inspect the requested records, it complied with the Open Records Act. The Act does not create a universal right to obtain copies of public records by mail. Rather, the basic right is described in KRS 61.872(2) as "the right to inspect public records. " (Emphasis added.) KRS 61.872(3)(b) gives some applicants the option of obtaining copies by mail instead of inspecting the records, but it is only those applicants whose "residence or principal place of business is outside the county in which the public records are located." From all indications, [the requester] does not fall within this category. Assuming that to be true, the agency could lawfully require him to inspect the records in person and make any copies himself. Cf. 09-ORD-173.
15-ORD-195, p. 5-6.
Mr. Kemper's address on his letterhead and envelope is in Owenton, which is in Owen County and so is not outside the county in which the public records are located. The address on the letterhead and envelope includes the term "Attorney at Law," and so is presumptively the address for Mr. Kemper's law office. The City of Owenton has afforded Mr. Kemper the opportunity to inspect the records. As he has his office in the same county in which the records are located, the City has complied with the Open Records Act and may require him to inspect the records before requesting copies of the records.
Although Mr. Kemper claims that the agency and its personnel are hostile to his request for records, the nature of the hostility is not further described and we are unable to discern from the record that the City has taken any action that would prevent Mr. Kemper from inspecting the records at City Hall.
As to Mr. Kemper's claim that the City did not respond to his Open Records requests, we are unable to definitively state that Mr. Kemper did not receive the City's responsive letters, but we must presume, from the existence of the responsive letters, that the City responded to his requests in accordance with the Open Records Act.
Either party may appeal this decision by initiating action in the appropriate circuit court pursuant to KRS 61.880(5) and KRS 61.882. Pursuant to KRS 61.880(3), the Attorney General must be notified of any action in circuit court, but must not be named as a party in that action or in any subsequent proceeding.
2016
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 258
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 271
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 272
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 270
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 269
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 266
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 264
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 257
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 267
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 268
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 265
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 263
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 262
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 260
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 261
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 259
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 255
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 252
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 253
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 251
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 254
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 250
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 249
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 248
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 247
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 246
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 245
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 235
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 237
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 243
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 239
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 244
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 238
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 236
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 241
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 240
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 242
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 233
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 234
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 232
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 231
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 256
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 224
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 223
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 225
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 227
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 228
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 226
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 230
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 229
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 222
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 217
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 220
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 218
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 221
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 219
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 215
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 216
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 214
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 212
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 213
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 211
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 210
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 208
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 205
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 206
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 207
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 209
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 204
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 203
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 200
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 202
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 201
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 199
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 198
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 196
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 197
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 195
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 194
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 192
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 190
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 191
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 193
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 186
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 188
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 189
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 187
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 180
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 185
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 181
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 184
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 183
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 182
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 178
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 179
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 176
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 175
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 177
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 174
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 172
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 173
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 170
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 171
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 168
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 166
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 167
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 169
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 165
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 164
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 163
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 162
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 161
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 160
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 159
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 157
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 158
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 156
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 148
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 145
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 154
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 151
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 140
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 146
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 143
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 150
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 153
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 149
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 142
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 155
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 141
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 144
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 152
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 147
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 137
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 138
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 139
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 136
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 133
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 135
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 132
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 134
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 131
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 130
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 128
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 127
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 129
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 126
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 125
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 124
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 123
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 51
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 52
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 53
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 54
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 55
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 47
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 46
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 48
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 49
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 50
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 63
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 62
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 61
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 60
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 59
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 58
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 57
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 56
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 122
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 121
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 45
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 119
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 120
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 116
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 118
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 117
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 113
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 14
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 115
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 114
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 112
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 109
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 111
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 110
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 107
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 105
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 106
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 108
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 104
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 102
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 103
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 13
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 101
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 12
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 100
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 99
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 98
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 97
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 96
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 95
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 94
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 93
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 92
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 91
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 89
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 90
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 88
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 78
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 82
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 85
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 84
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 81
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 86
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 87
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 80
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 83
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 79
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 77
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 74
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 73
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 75
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 76
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 72
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 68
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 69
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 70
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 67
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 66
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 65
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 43
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 44
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 64
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 11
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 42
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 41
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 17
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 40
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 39
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 38
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 36
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 37
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 16
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 35
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 33
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 32
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 34
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 30
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 31
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 29
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 28
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 27
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 26
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 20
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 22
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 24
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 25
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 21
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 23
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 19
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 18
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 15
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 10
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 8
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 9
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 7
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 4
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 5
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 6
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 1
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 2
2016 Ky. AG LEXIS 3