Town officials are “strongly considering” hiring a part-time administrative employee to manage the growing number of public records requests across departments.
“It’s very nuanced and complicated, and one request can take hours and hours of time,” Town Administrator Patrice Garvin said.
According to Garvin, when a public records request is made, Administrative Supervisor Pam Callahan is tasked with figuring out what is being requested, how long it will take, and whether there is a need to extend the deadline for responding.
“It’s not just my office … Every office is being inundated with public records requests,” Garvin said.
Massachusetts General Law requires the town to research and prepare a response to the request within 10 business days of receipt of the request. If necessary, the town can notify the requester that an additional 15 days are required.
“Given the volume in my office, generally what we do is extend,” Garvin said.
In an email to The Voice, Garvin said a dedicated coordinator for managing public records requests would reduce the burden on town departments while providing residents with a more consistent and responsive process for accessing public records. She estimated the position would cost the town around $50,000, depending on the number of hours and benefits.
According to Garvin, the town is in the process of scanning and digitizing town records so more information can be available to the public without requiring a public records request.
In Belmont, requests are made through an online system called NextRequest. The software allows the public to view previous requests that have already been published.
“The amount of staff time required to respond to these requests has become a growing concern. With an already lean staff, the time taken away from regular departmental responsibilities needs to be addressed,” Garvin said in an email to The Voice.
In one day, the town received 11 anonymous public records requests from an individual seeking all email and text communication between various town officials.
“Pam took about 50+ hours to fulfill this public records request,” Garvin told the Select Board. “It’s not just getting the requests in; once we compile the information, we want to make sure the emails don’t slip into something that might be confidential or part of an exemption or something that is privileged with council.”
