2.112.040 Costs of providing copies of public records.
A. Costs for Paper Copies. There is no fee for inspecting public records, and a requestor may obtain standard black and white photocopies of up to twenty (20) pages at no charge. Fifteen cents ($0.15) per page will be charged if the request exceeds twenty (20) pages. For example, a request for twenty-one (21) pages will cost three dollars and fifteen cents ($3.15). If, at the city’s discretion, materials need to be copied by an outside source, either due to volume, current workload of city staff, or any other reason, the requestor will be charged the actual amount invoiced to the city by the copying vendor. The city council, by resolution, may set a higher fee for copying when warranted by actual costs to the city. The resolution shall include a statement of the actual per page costs or other costs, if any, in accordance with RCW 42.56.120.
B. Costs for Supplies. Envelopes and/or packaging, and/or the cost of any digital storage media or device (e.g., CD or thumb drive) are charged at the actual costs of those supplied.
C. Costs for Postage. Postage is charged at the actual postage costs of such postage.
D. Costs for Electronic Copies.
1. For public records not already in electronic format, and exceeding twenty (20) pages, the requestor will be charged ten cents ($0.10) per page for scanning; and
2. For public records delivered via electronic means (e.g., email, cloud-based storage, etc.), the requestor will be charged ten cents ($0.10) per gigabyte or portion thereof; and
3. For public records delivered via electronic means (e.g., email, cloud-based storage, etc.), the requestor will be charged five cents ($0.05) for each four (4) electronic attachments or files.
E. Customized Service Charge. In addition to the charges described in the previous subsections, with advance notice to the requestor the city may include a customized service charge for the use of information technology expertise to prepare data compilations, or provide customized electronic service access services when such compilations and customized access services are not used by the city for other city purposes.
F. Combining Costs. Charges in the above subsections may be combined to the extent that more than one (1) type of charge applies to copies produced in response to a particular request. The city will take reasonable steps to provide the records in the most efficient manner available in its normal operations.
G. Deposits and Installments. In the event a request is estimated to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00), the city may require the requestor to deposit an amount not to exceed ten percent of the estimated cost prior to the duplication of record(s). If a department makes a request available on a partial or installment basis, the department may charge for each part of the request as it is provided. If an installment of a records request is not claimed or reviewed, the department is not obligated to fulfill the balance of the request.
H. Payment. Payment may be made by cash, check, or money order payable to the city of Aberdeen.
Prior to the adoption of 6502 on 08/25/2010, Section 2.112.040 read as follows.
No fee shall be charged for the inspection of public records. There shall be a charge of fifteen cents ($.15) per page for providing copies of public records and for the use of the city’s copy equipment. The city council, by resolution, may set higher fees for copying when warranted by actual costs to the city. The resolution shall include a statement of the actual per page costs or other costs, if any, in accordance with RCW 42.17.260(7) and (8). All such fees in existence prior to the adoption of the ordinance codified in this section shall remain in full force and effect. (Prior code § 1.94.040)