TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Liza Tamura, City Clerk
Matthew Cuevas, Management Analyst
Tatyana Roujenova-Peltekova, Information Systems Specialist
SUBJECT:Title
Presentation of Public Records Requests Public Portal (City Clerk Tamura).
RECEIVE REPORT
Line
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report regarding the public records requests public portal.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with this staff report.
BACKGROUND:
From June 2011 to March 2013, the Ad Hoc Open Government Subcommittee was created by the City Council to reassess and prioritize Open Government initiatives, conduct research, receive public input on the directives, and provide recommendations on new procedures, including public records requests. Further, at the October 1, 2013 City Council meeting, the City Council approved the City's Public Records Act Protocol (attachment 1) based on the Ad Hoc Open Government Subcommittee’s recommendation. City Council also directed the City Clerk to maintain a public records requests log sheet to accurately track and respond to public records requests, and to monitor staff time dedicated to responding to such requests and any associated costs. Based off of this direction, the City Clerk’s office developed a public records request log sheet in Microsoft Excel format to fulfill City Council’s directive.
In continuation of the efforts for more open, transparent and accessible City government, the City Clerk’s office conducted research for an electronic system to automate and streamline the public record request process, with the goal of improving staff efficiency and responsiveness. The research conducted by the City Clerk’s office included surveying other cities regarding their electronic public records tracking systems, and viewing demonstrations from different vendors who specialize in electronic public records request systems. Based off of the surveys and live demonstrations, the company GovQA was selected to provide centralized processing for all public records requests received by the City. GovQA was selected based off of familiarity with the California Public Records Act, the versatility of the platform, the cost of implementation and maintenance, the ease of internal workflow for staff and their extensive experience with public records request software. The contract with GovQA was executed on May 18, 2015 in the amount of $6,040 ($3,540 for annual subscription cost and a one-time implementation cost of $2,500) and includes an option to renew the contract on an annual basis.
DISCUSSION:
As requested by the City Council, the City Clerk’s office is providing a presentation on the Public Records Request Public Portal, which is currently available on the City website. The implementation of the GovQA system includes a public portal which provides citizens the opportunity to submit public records requests electronically at any time through the City’s website. The public portal is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is available by using any internet browser. The link for the public portal can be found on the home page of the City website on the right hand navigation pane, and is the second option titled ‘Public Records & Service Requests.’ The public records request portal is also available on the City’s Reach Manhattan Beach mobile application, so members of the public may submit a request or access an existing request from their smart device.
The public portal provides community members the ability to submit public records requests electronically, check the status of previously submitted requests, view the public records archive and access the frequently asked questions section. All public records requests submitted through the public portal, receive a unique tracking number to ensure accurate handling and processing. Members of the public will be required to create an account when they initially submit a public records request. After an account has been created, a member of the public can log into their respective account to initiate or track the progress of a request. Additionally, all official responses or documents (when available in electronic format) relevant to a particular request will be sent to the email address used by the member of the public to create their account.
The public records request archive contains all the requests entered into the system, and is available for viewing when permitted by the law. The public may search the displayed requests by reference number, or by the date of the request, by a requester’s name, by completion status, or filter the public records requests based on the description of the request. Any public records requests matching the previously specified criteria will then be displayed.
The frequently asked questions (FAQ) help section of the system provides members of the public with answers related to the public records requests; therefore, reducing the need to call or visit City Hall. The public may search and quickly access information on various topics such as which records are exempt from disclosure, how to submit a records request, the format of the requested records, and other information related to public records requests. If a member of the public is unable to find an answer to their question on the FAQ section, they may always contact the City Clerk’s office directly during normal business hours for assistance.
In summary, the online access to the City public records request system offers the following benefits:
• The system’s 24/7 availability
• Citizens may input their own record request description
• Tracking the status of submitted public records requests
• Automating the public records request process
• Provide search capabilities for records through the public records request archive
• Access to Frequently Asked Questions
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
The City Clerk’s office will continue to promote the new public records request system and public portal through the following methods:
• City Website Home Page - assigned button for ease of use and high visibility of the Public Record Request Public Portal.
• Information Memo - an Information Memo is pending to further publicize and inform members of the public regarding the Public Records Request Public Portal.
• Community Workshop - a demonstration and hands-on training is tentatively scheduled for late March 2016 / early April 2016.
Attachments:
1. Public Records Act Protocol
2. Prior Public Records Request Log Sheet
3. Public Records Request Presentation