REQUESTING PUBLIC RECORDS

The Washington State Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, supports the public’s right to be informed about what their government is doing. A public record is existing information contained in writing, data, or other type of records.

The law requires that the public records requested are “identifiable.” A public records request must include enough specific description so the district can locate the record being requested. For example, if you are requesting the district budget, be sure to state for which year you want the budget and if you want the entire document or a summary.

The law lists certain public records that do not have to be disclosed. These exemptions are intended to prevent unreasonable invasions of personal privacy or the use of public records for personal or commercial gain. If certain information contained in a document is exempt, it will be redacted (blacked out) from the document, but you will still be provided a copy of the document.

While the District makes every effort to respond to all inquiries, it should be noted that general questions are not public disclosure requests. Public disclosure requests apply to existing documents.

To submit a request, complete the Public Records Request Form.

The law requires that within five (5) business days from receiving the request, the public agency will:

  1. provide you the records requested; or

  2. provide a reasonable estimate of when the records will be available when the records are not readily available because of (1) the time necessary to gather them, (2) determine whether they are exempt, (3) redact any exempt information, (4) contact people or other entities to let them know the information is being released, and/or (5) to gain clarification of the request; or

  3. deny the request and give the legal reason for the denial.

If the District does not respond in writing within five business days of receipt of the request for disclosure, the requester should contact the Public Records Officer at 360-501-1900 to determine the reason for the failure to respond.

Policy 4040P outlines the cost for requested records. Please note there is no charge for records inspected in-person. When a requester asks for copies of all or a portion of the records requested, however, the District will assess fees as outlined in 4040P.