Public Information Request Procedure

In compliance with Oregon law the following guidelines apply to the dissemination, inspection and examination of the public records of the district:

  1. A public records request shall be submitted in writing through the superintendent’s office at 459 SW Coast Hwy., Newport, OR 97365.
  2. Upon receipt of a written request, the district shall respond within five business days1 acknowledging receipt of the request or completing2 the district’s response to the request. If the district provides an acknowledgment of the request, it must:
    • Confirm that the district is the custodian of the requested record;
    • Inform the requester that the district is not the custodian of the requested record; or
    • Notify the requester that the district is uncertain whether the district is the custodian of the requested record.
  3. If the district is the custodian of the requested record, as soon as reasonably possible but not later than 10 business days after the date the district is required to acknowledge receipt of the request as described above, the district shall:
    • Complete its response to the public records request. If the district determines that a record is exempt from public disclosure, the district will include a statement to that effect and that the requester may appeal the decision pursuant to state law; or
    • Provide a written statement that the district is still processing the request and a reasonable estimated date by which the district expects to complete its response based on the information currently available.
  4. The time periods, established by Oregon law and identified above in Section 2 or 3, will not apply to the district if compliance would be impracticable because:
    • The staff or volunteers3 necessary to complete a response to the public records request are unavailable;
    • Compliance would demonstrably impede the district’s ability to perform other necessary services; or
    • Of the volume of the public records request being simultaneously processed by the district.

    The district shall, as soon as practicable and without unreasonable delay, acknowledge a public records request and complete the response to the request.

  5. The district may request additional information or clarification from the requester for the purpose of expediting the district’s response to the request as permitted by law. If the district requests additional information or clarification, in good faith, the obligation to complete the request is suspended until the requester provides the requested information or clarification or affirmatively declines to provide the information or clarification.
  6. If a copy of a public record is requested, the district will provide a single copy. If a request to inspect a public record is made and the record is maintained in a machine readable or electronic form, the custodian shall provide the record in the form requested, if available. If the public record is not available in the form requested, it will be provided in the form the record is maintained. If a person who is a party to a civil judicial proceeding to which the district is a party or who has filed notice under Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 30.275(5)(a) asks to inspect or to receive a copy of a public record that the person knows relates to the proceeding or notice, the individual must submit the request in writing to the designated custodian of district records and at the same time to the district’s attorney.
  7. Information will be made available to individuals with disabilities in an appropriate format upon request and advance notice. Auxiliary aids and services available to qualified persons with disabilities may include large print, Braille, audio recordings, readers, assistance in locating materials or other equally effective accommodations.
  8. Where the labor effort exceeds 30 minutes, labor, material and out-of-pocket charges will be reimbursed to the district. Labor will be calculated at the hourly rate of the employee affected. Materials and out-of-pocket charges will be reimbursed at the established rate of $.25 per page. Auxiliary aids and services for qualified persons with disabilities will be available at no additional charge.
    If the district has informed the requester of a permitted fee, the obligation of the district to complete its response to the request is suspended until the fee has been received by the district. If the requester fails to pay the fee within 60 days of the date he/she was informed of the fee or fails to pay the fee within 60 days of the date on which the district informed them of the denial of the fee waiver, the district shall close the request.
  9. The district reserves the right to restrict the inspection of some public records to the district’s facilities.

1 “Business day” means a day other than Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday, and on which at least one paid employee of the district is scheduled to and does report to work. Business day does not include any day on which the central administration offices of the district are closed.
2 The district response to a public records request will be considered complete when it complies with criteria in Oregon law (ORS 192.329).
3 Staff member or volunteers who are on leave or are not scheduled to work are considered to be unavailable.

Susan Schuytema
Communications Specialist / Public Information Requests

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