As much as I hate to provide fuel to the fire of excessive FOI requests, I think it’s time Anderson County provided an orderly approach to FOI Requests. Let me make this crystal clear: I am not saying that there is an issue with the current approach. What I am suggesting is an improvement to the current process that should cut down on the number of requests and should serve to streamline the current process.
FOI Requests to Anderson County should become a two-click process from the county website.
First click … Opens a simple form that you, the requestor, populates with information pertinent to your request.
Second click … The form is submitted.
After submission, the requestor of the FOI can track the current progress of their FOI by clicking over to the FOI tracking page, also found on the county website.
Discuss (as there could be a lot more to this)
- SSHM
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FOI Requests: Ten Items or Less, Please
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I'm not sure there's any desire by the current administration to streamline the FOI request process.
Don't forget there's a per-page copy fee to be collected, too.
In fact, if the county implements something like this, they can have a list of the most popular requests already packaged to download, and you can just pay the fee and get your own copy in a couple of clicks.
Kinda like a greatest hits album. Milk that public information for all it's worth.
Don't forget there's a per-page copy fee to be collected, too.
In fact, if the county implements something like this, they can have a list of the most popular requests already packaged to download, and you can just pay the fee and get your own copy in a couple of clicks.
Kinda like a greatest hits album. Milk that public information for all it's worth.
But should it cost anything if you download a PDF of a common request?
The files have already been pulled together and put up on the website and it doesn't cost anything more.
It sounds like something that could help to restore some faith in our county government.
The files have already been pulled together and put up on the website and it doesn't cost anything more.
It sounds like something that could help to restore some faith in our county government.
But should it cost anything if you download a PDF of a common request?Absolutely. Someone had to work to compile the documents and prepare them for download. Someone has to maintain the website. The files have to be stored on a server somewhere. While paperless is significantly cheaper, it is not free. And it'd be prudent to defer those costs to the people seeking the information rather than passing the cost to the taxpayers at large.- ahammett
If FOI could be requested by internet then payment could be charged to a bank/debit card via internet. There should be a minimum fee and if the per page fee is higher than the minimum fee, the charge could be increased and charged before delivery. This is a great idea.
I didn't think we'd discuss the pricing model so quickly, so let me try to fill in the gaps of my idea.
1.) To submit the FOI - Your out-of-pocket charge should be little to nothing.
2.) Costs associated with the FOI after review (e.g. time to gather the information, present it in a digital format, searchable in a database, etc.) - This is where the bite will come from, sadly. Ideally, the system would notify the FOI requester of the cost of the information and ask if they would like to continue with the charge - charging back to the account they used to pay, oh say, the $1 charge to file the original FOI online.
3.) Re-review of FOIs - This is where this system would shine. You have an online interactive database that would show submitted, pending, and complete FOIs submitted online to AC. Specific to the completed FOIs, you could (if you were not the original requestor), access those FOI requests for research, etc. for a nominal fee.
The idea is to have all of the FOIs, including those submitted in person or snail mail, to be loaded into this system.
Let's take this one step farther . . .
Should Anderson County opt to run with this solution, AC could sell (yes - sell) this solution to other counties, both here in the state and out-of-state.
- SSHM
1.) To submit the FOI - Your out-of-pocket charge should be little to nothing.
2.) Costs associated with the FOI after review (e.g. time to gather the information, present it in a digital format, searchable in a database, etc.) - This is where the bite will come from, sadly. Ideally, the system would notify the FOI requester of the cost of the information and ask if they would like to continue with the charge - charging back to the account they used to pay, oh say, the $1 charge to file the original FOI online.
3.) Re-review of FOIs - This is where this system would shine. You have an online interactive database that would show submitted, pending, and complete FOIs submitted online to AC. Specific to the completed FOIs, you could (if you were not the original requestor), access those FOI requests for research, etc. for a nominal fee.
The idea is to have all of the FOIs, including those submitted in person or snail mail, to be loaded into this system.
Let's take this one step farther . . .
Should Anderson County opt to run with this solution, AC could sell (yes - sell) this solution to other counties, both here in the state and out-of-state.
- SSHM
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