What you could get from a public records request from within the office of the Board of Selectmen.

Hi Jeff:

Please fill out the attached form. This makes it easier for this office to keep track of all of the public records requests.

 Thank you.

Holly A. Young

I am unsure of why or how you would interpret “I am forwarding this to Holly in the selectman office.   Please note that all records requests need to be directed to the Selectman’s office.”

as a refusal of responding to your public records request. Per the M.G.L. and the Secretary of States office, “Anyone may request records directly from the records custodian”, which in the case of Templeton, is me, per my job description and designation by the Selectmen. I realize that the M.G.L. describes any person that has physical custody of the records as a Records Custodian. However, as ALL documents regardless of which office they are kept in, are the property of the Town of Templeton, the Selectmen’s Office is the preferred avenue for records requests to come through.

I am not sure, however, that you are aware that with the current M.G.L. still in place, “Such request may be delivered in hand to the office of the custodian or mailed via first class mail. A written request is not required but is recommended. An oral request made in person (not by telephone) is permitted.” I do not see anywhere in the law that states that requests received via email must be answered or that it is the correct manner to request records. Regardless, our offices have been very cooperative in getting the documents you have requested via email to you in a timely manner. However, I see no reason why you cannot cooperate with the Town and fill out a standard form and email that to me as the Records Custodian so I may respond to your request.

I will respond to your request within the legal time limit and you may consider my response as a response to the email you sent to the Town Accountant.  

the following is from the public records guide, available online to anyone.

The Request: There are no strict rules that govern the manner in which requests for public information should be made. Requests may be made in person or in writing. Written requests may be made by mail, facsimile or email.(10) A requester must provide the records custodian with a reasonable description of the desired information.(11) A records custodian is expected to use his or her superior knowledge of the records in his or her custody to assist the requester in obtaining the desired information.12

Attend the next meeting of the Advisory Committee and you may see who received a 15.85% raise recently (it could be someone in the office of the selectmen.

I also have copies of other public record requests by email that were provided to others (not me).

posted by Jeff Bennett