The Jefferson city council at its May 9 meeting adopted a policy for dealing with requests for records that under Iowa law are open to the public. Although the Iowa Open Meetings and Open Records laws are decades old, the city has not had a policy for dealing with requests for records.
City administrator Mike Palmer explained to the council the policy is in response to a request from someone for the addresses at which residents are delinquent on their city utility bills (water, sewer, garbage/recycle pickup).
“You’re not going to be able to restrict anything more than the Open Records law provides for, nor should you,” city attorney David Morain told the council. “One of the most important parts of municipal government is that you provide open information for the citizenry.
“However, there is no current policy on the books for how to go about requesting records, the manner in which the information is delivered, and for the people who request information, what is going to be ‘off limits’.
“The only thing that will be ‘off limits’ is those things that are enumerated under Iowa Code, so that’s what your policy reflects,” he said.
Members of the public may view public records during regular city hall office hours. Individuals may be charged for copies of records to cover the office expense of providing the copies.
The policy cites Iowa Code Section 388.9A in not permitting the examination or reproduction of records related to a city utility, including any information which identifies a specific customer, including the customer’s home address or name.
In other business, the council approved an application to the Iowa Department of Transportation for $262,500 for site improvements at a proposed 100 X 100-ft hangar at the municipal airport. The council last month approved a contract for just less than $1.3 million for the complete project, with the project pending receiving the IDOT grant.
The city has $900,000 in federal funds available for the project. If the IDOT grant is received and the project is complete, the city’s match will be less than $200,000, with that money coming from airport revenue, not the city’s general fund.
The council approved 10-year development agreements for two building renovation projects proposed at the April 18 meeting – the VFW Post 9599 building at 109 N. Chestnut St in the amount of $80,000; and Meythaler Photography at 122 E. State St in the amount of $75,000.
The loans cannot be transferred if a building changes hands, although a new owner and the city could come to an agreement to continue the loans. The loans are interest free.
A third project, Corner View Properties at 100 and 102 N. Wilson Ave, was on the agenda for May 9 but was postponed to the May 23 meeting.
