Request for Public Information Policy

Adopted: March 16, 2015

Request for Public Information Form

The City of Spearfish strives to provide its citizens with superior service in all areas of operation. Citizens are encouraged to email, call, or visit City officials to inquire about City business, policy, or operations. However, occasionally citizens may wish to receive additional City records. Chapter 1-27 of South Dakota Codified Law grants the public certain rights to view or receive copies of most of the documents and data created and compiled by government entities, including municipalities.

The City of Spearfish has enacted policies and procedures to ensure requests for records are fulfilled promptly:

• The Finance Officer is the custodian of public records for the City of Spearfish, with exception to Public Safety Division (Police or Fire Department's) case or incident related records.
• All public records requests must be made by completing a Request for Public Information Form and delivering it to the Finance Officer. Verbal requests will not be accepted. Requests must describe the records sought with reasonable particularity. Public Safety case or incident related records requests will be made to the Police Department.
• Each request shall contain the name, address, and telephone number of the requester.
• The Finance Officer, or his or her designee, will respond to the request within ten business days. The response will:
  • Comply with the request upon payment of any fees;
  • Deny the request in whole or in part with a reason for the denial;
  • Acknowledge receipt of the request and provide an estimated time required to fulfill the request; or
  • Request clarification of which records are being requested or the delivery format.
• Requests must seek documents or data that are in existence at the time of the request and will be provided in the format or media in which the information is stored.
• Certain records are exempt from disclosure and may be withheld or redacted. If the request for information is denied, an explanation of the denial will be sent to the requester and will be kept on file.
• The City may recover the costs associated with fulfilling a request. Fees for requests could include copy fees; printing fees; mailing fees; facsimile transmission of copies; and staff time for research, retrieval and compilation of requests. Fees will be established by Resolution and will be included in the City of Spearfish’s Master Fee Schedule. Actual or estimated fees associated with each request will be included in the initial response to each request and must be paid in-full prior to the fulfillment of the request.