Open Records Request
Overview
The Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70) requires that all city records, except those excluded by court order or by law, be open for personal inspection by any citizen of Georgia at a reasonable time and place. However, there are specific records excluded from the coverage of this law. Because many documents and records are made confidential or privileged by law, the City of Dacula has procedures to ensure adequate review and input by the City Clerk and City Attorney for inspection requests.
Open Meetings Act
Cities also adhere to the Open Meetings Act (O.C.G.A. 50-14-1-6), commonly referred to as the Sunshine Laws. The Sunshine Laws provide stipulations and regulations pertaining to public meetings. The Open Meetings Act also provides specific exceptions to the general requirement that meetings be open.
Make an Open Records Request
Open records requests should be directed to the designated Open Records Officer - Courtney Mahady.
- Before submitting your request, please ensure that the address you are requesting records for is inside the Dacula city limits. Check the Official Zoning Map to determine if the address is inside the city limits.
Submit an open records request through our Open Records Request Form.
Process
Records staff will respond to each written record request promptly informing the requester of the estimated cost and probable turnaround time for producing the requested records. If a request is made for documents that are not to be disclosed under the Open Records Act, the records staff will respond in writing and provide the specific legal authority exempting the records from disclosure.
Fees
A charge of $0.10 per page of copied records will be accessed and a processing fee for staff time spent in search, retrieval, redaction, and other direct administrative costs involved in producing the requested records over 15 minutes shall be applied. This fee represents the salary of the lowest-paid full-time employee possessing the necessary skills and training to perform the request.
- There is no charge for the first 15 minutes of staff time.
- An additional fee will be charged for certified copies.
- Should the requester ask that the City mail the records, postage costs will be included in the invoice.
Payment for record requests can be made via:
- Online Credit Card
- Cash
- Money Order
- Check (personal or company) made out to the City of Dacula.
Contact Us
For additional information and questions regarding open records, please call the Records Officer at Phone: 770-963-7451.
