Open records or closed records? Sun-Gazette reporters find out
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Williamsport Sun-Gazette
was among 139 news organizations that
participated in The Associated Press's audit
survey of compliance with Pennsylvania's new
Right-to-Know Law. Today we close this four-part
series on that audit with our local results.
By MIKE REUTHER
The Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Rest assured, the public has a right to know.
It's a sacred creed adhered to by journalists working in what they believe is a democratic, free society.
With the revamping of open records laws in Pennsylvania earlier this year, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette agreed to become part of an effort with The Associated Press and other newspapers statewide to see just how accessible government records are in municipalities and school districts.
What would it be like if some of our reporters went to the gatekeepers of these documents, many of them perhaps stored away in dusty filing cabinets?
Would we encounter resistance?
Compliance?
Note of full disclosure: Each of us approached government agencies as a citizen, not as a reporter. Each went to areas they do not cover normally. All requests were for records that, under the law, should be open for public inspection.
The results were mixed. Following is what the Sun-Gazette reporters encountered as they sampled local government agencies.
Anything but resistance
A request made to South Williamsport Borough for its police department blotter, chronicling the crimes, misdemeanors and various acts of betrayal in the community was met by anything but resistance.
As noted by staff reporter Mark Maroney, not only did the borough official upon request agree to provide him with it, "she asked me if I wanted a monthly, weekly or daily blotter report. She didn't ask for my name or why I was requesting it."
Officials fielding similar requests in most cases were cordial, if not always eager to hand over documents - at least not without first a few questions.
Access denied
The Loyalsock Township School District rejected reporter Shawna Turner's request for a copy of the superintendent's resume.
A district official told her since the resume was not part of the minutes, access could not be granted.
"She seemed curious as to why I wanted to see the resume," Turner recalled.
Interestingly enough, Turner's same-day request for a copy of the district superintendent's contract was granted.
"She was nice," Turner said of the official granting her request. "I had to fill out a form and it was e-mailed to me a few days later."
Reporter R.A. Walker asked to view a principal's resume from the Montoursville Area School District. He said the staff there were both helpful and polite.
"I was asked to fill out a form and sign it," he said.
'Polite' experience
Walker had a similar experience at the Muncy School District to view a copy of the superintendent's contract.
"Everyone was very polite," he said. "No request was made for identification or my name."
Reporter Greg Hayes' request to see the Williamsport Police police blotter was met with no resistance.
He noted that the city official fielding his request was accommodating, "though as she handed me copies she recognized me as a reporter with the paper."
Later that same day, he sought the Lycoming County Communications 911 response log.
"The woman at the desk was helpful, made calls to obtain information. I received the public end of the 911 response log, though a fuller account of that log, I was told, needed to be accessed by a subpoena."
He described his experience at the 911 center as "nice, prompt service."
No resume for police chief
Reporter Mike Reuther wanted to get a look at either the application or resume for the Hughesville Borough police chief.
A borough official directed him to fill out a request form and told him he would receive the requested information by mail. At no time was he asked why he wanted to see such information or even to identify himself.
More than a week passed before he received a form letter indicating that the information did not exist.
'Come another time'
Reuther arrived at Mifflin Township, a rural municipality some 20 miles from Williamsport late one afternoon, just as the single borough official inside the municipal building was preparing to leave for the day.
He asked if he could see the township's three most recent grant applications.
Initially, she indicated that a written request for the documents would be needed.
"I think it would be better if you came another time," she said.
However, Reuther was able to convince her to allow him to see all the documents.
Reporter David Thompson wanted to see the Jersey Shore School District superintendent's contract.
No problem.
Not only did the superintendent provide him with the document, he offered to show him supplemental information.
"He was extremely polite and professional," Thompson recalled. "He said he had no problem sharing the information because it was a public record. His demeanor was friendly throughout."
Thompson said he later learned that the superintendent knew he was a reporter.
"Apparently, talk about a possible audit was discussed at a meeting the day before," he explained.
Another request questioned
Thompson had a quite different experience at the Jersey Shore Police Department later that same day.
A clerk fielding his request for the police blotter initially asked Thompson his name and why he wanted to see it.
"She said she had to ask the (police) chief if it was OK to give me the record. I told her my name and that I was doing research," he said. "I gave her my fax number at the Sun-Gazette. I eventually had to tell her I was a reporter doing a story for the Sun-Gazette. Even then, she would not give me the record."
The clerk later said she needed permission from the chief before faxing it to him, that she couldn't just give the document to "anybody," and that he needed a reason to see the blotter.
Thompson left his name and fax number but never received the information.
20 cents a page
A Lycoming County official considering reporter Patrick Donlin's request for the county's three most recent grant applications wanted to know why he needed such information.
Informing the official he needed it for a news story, he was initially directed to a Web site with some information about the grants.
He was told accompanying information regarding the grants was about "5 inches high" and each page would cost him 20 cents.
He chose not to pay copying fees.
The following day, he went to see another official after receiving a telephone call from her regarding his request. Upon arrival he was told she needed to check with someone else about it.
Official claims need to know
Donlin again was asked why he needed the information. The official said she needed to know why to satisfy the county's right-to-know policy.
Later that day, Donlin received a phone call from one of the officials. Once again he was informed that copies would cost him 20 cents per page.
Once again, he chose not to copy them.
He said he felt the one official he dealt with was both "polite" and "professional."
Donlin also had problems accessing public records from the city of Williamsport.
When he told the city clerk he wanted to see the city's three most recent grant applications, he initially was directed to the mayor. The clerk than checked with the city finance and budget manager.
Donlin was told by the clerk his request required more research and that she would check with the city solicitor.
Filing a formal request
Three days later a Pennsylvania Newspaper Association attorney recommended he submit to the city a Right-to-Know Law Request form. He delivered the form to the city that day.
Things went smoothly from there.
Five days later, Donlin received a call from the city informing him the documents were ready for his perusal.
"I visited her (the clerk) at the office that day and she allowed me to examine the grant request documents in her office," he recalled. "She made me feel comfortable and didn't rush me. The documents amounted to 21 pages total. She didn't charge me any fees and the documents stayed in her office. She said if I wanted any copies to take with me, it would cost 25 cents per printed side. I politely declined."
By MIKE REUTHER
The Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Rest assured, the public has a right to know.
It's a sacred creed adhered to by journalists working in what they believe is a democratic, free society.
With the revamping of open records laws in Pennsylvania earlier this year, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette agreed to become part of an effort with The Associated Press and other newspapers statewide to see just how accessible government records are in municipalities and school districts.
What would it be like if some of our reporters went to the gatekeepers of these documents, many of them perhaps stored away in dusty filing cabinets?
Would we encounter resistance?
Compliance?
Note of full disclosure: Each of us approached government agencies as a citizen, not as a reporter. Each went to areas they do not cover normally. All requests were for records that, under the law, should be open for public inspection.
The results were mixed. Following is what the Sun-Gazette reporters encountered as they sampled local government agencies.
Anything but resistance
A request made to South Williamsport Borough for its police department blotter, chronicling the crimes, misdemeanors and various acts of betrayal in the community was met by anything but resistance.
As noted by staff reporter Mark Maroney, not only did the borough official upon request agree to provide him with it, "she asked me if I wanted a monthly, weekly or daily blotter report. She didn't ask for my name or why I was requesting it."
Officials fielding similar requests in most cases were cordial, if not always eager to hand over documents - at least not without first a few questions.
Access denied
The Loyalsock Township School District rejected reporter Shawna Turner's request for a copy of the superintendent's resume.
A district official told her since the resume was not part of the minutes, access could not be granted.
"She seemed curious as to why I wanted to see the resume," Turner recalled.
Interestingly enough, Turner's same-day request for a copy of the district superintendent's contract was granted.
"She was nice," Turner said of the official granting her request. "I had to fill out a form and it was e-mailed to me a few days later."
Reporter R.A. Walker asked to view a principal's resume from the Montoursville Area School District. He said the staff there were both helpful and polite.
"I was asked to fill out a form and sign it," he said.
'Polite' experience
Walker had a similar experience at the Muncy School District to view a copy of the superintendent's contract.
"Everyone was very polite," he said. "No request was made for identification or my name."
Reporter Greg Hayes' request to see the Williamsport Police police blotter was met with no resistance.
He noted that the city official fielding his request was accommodating, "though as she handed me copies she recognized me as a reporter with the paper."
Later that same day, he sought the Lycoming County Communications 911 response log.
"The woman at the desk was helpful, made calls to obtain information. I received the public end of the 911 response log, though a fuller account of that log, I was told, needed to be accessed by a subpoena."
He described his experience at the 911 center as "nice, prompt service."
No resume for police chief
Reporter Mike Reuther wanted to get a look at either the application or resume for the Hughesville Borough police chief.
A borough official directed him to fill out a request form and told him he would receive the requested information by mail. At no time was he asked why he wanted to see such information or even to identify himself.
More than a week passed before he received a form letter indicating that the information did not exist.
'Come another time'
Reuther arrived at Mifflin Township, a rural municipality some 20 miles from Williamsport late one afternoon, just as the single borough official inside the municipal building was preparing to leave for the day.
He asked if he could see the township's three most recent grant applications.
Initially, she indicated that a written request for the documents would be needed.
"I think it would be better if you came another time," she said.
However, Reuther was able to convince her to allow him to see all the documents.
Reporter David Thompson wanted to see the Jersey Shore School District superintendent's contract.
No problem.
Not only did the superintendent provide him with the document, he offered to show him supplemental information.
"He was extremely polite and professional," Thompson recalled. "He said he had no problem sharing the information because it was a public record. His demeanor was friendly throughout."
Thompson said he later learned that the superintendent knew he was a reporter.
"Apparently, talk about a possible audit was discussed at a meeting the day before," he explained.
Another request questioned
Thompson had a quite different experience at the Jersey Shore Police Department later that same day.
A clerk fielding his request for the police blotter initially asked Thompson his name and why he wanted to see it.
"She said she had to ask the (police) chief if it was OK to give me the record. I told her my name and that I was doing research," he said. "I gave her my fax number at the Sun-Gazette. I eventually had to tell her I was a reporter doing a story for the Sun-Gazette. Even then, she would not give me the record."
The clerk later said she needed permission from the chief before faxing it to him, that she couldn't just give the document to "anybody," and that he needed a reason to see the blotter.
Thompson left his name and fax number but never received the information.
20 cents a page
A Lycoming County official considering reporter Patrick Donlin's request for the county's three most recent grant applications wanted to know why he needed such information.
Informing the official he needed it for a news story, he was initially directed to a Web site with some information about the grants.
He was told accompanying information regarding the grants was about "5 inches high" and each page would cost him 20 cents.
He chose not to pay copying fees.
The following day, he went to see another official after receiving a telephone call from her regarding his request. Upon arrival he was told she needed to check with someone else about it.
Official claims need to know
Donlin again was asked why he needed the information. The official said she needed to know why to satisfy the county's right-to-know policy.
Later that day, Donlin received a phone call from one of the officials. Once again he was informed that copies would cost him 20 cents per page.
Once again, he chose not to copy them.
He said he felt the one official he dealt with was both "polite" and "professional."
Donlin also had problems accessing public records from the city of Williamsport.
When he told the city clerk he wanted to see the city's three most recent grant applications, he initially was directed to the mayor. The clerk than checked with the city finance and budget manager.
Donlin was told by the clerk his request required more research and that she would check with the city solicitor.
Filing a formal request
Three days later a Pennsylvania Newspaper Association attorney recommended he submit to the city a Right-to-Know Law Request form. He delivered the form to the city that day.
Things went smoothly from there.
Five days later, Donlin received a call from the city informing him the documents were ready for his perusal.
"I visited her (the clerk) at the office that day and she allowed me to examine the grant request documents in her office," he recalled. "She made me feel comfortable and didn't rush me. The documents amounted to 21 pages total. She didn't charge me any fees and the documents stayed in her office. She said if I wanted any copies to take with me, it would cost 25 cents per printed side. I politely declined."