Commissioner charged for township information
By GREG GROSS
For the [York] Daily Record/Sunday News
A York Township commissioner said he shouldn't have to file Right-to-Know requests to the township to get information that he plans to address during board of commissioner meetings.
Ken Silberstein argued during a board of commissioners meeting Tuesday night that commissioners should be privy to information held by the township.
"For me to pay to get information is horrible," Silberstein said.
The issue stems from July when Silberstein asked for a taped transcript of the July 23 commissioners meeting. The township records meetings on compact disks, which are then used to compile the official minutes.
Silberstein said he was told that he had to file a Right-to-Know request and would have to pay $1.50 for the copy of the CD.
Under the Right-to-Know Law, municipalities can charge for distributing requested information.
Township Manager Elizabeth Heathcote said she had made the decision to have Silberstein file a request because of the cost and time it would take to make the copy.
Silberstein said that he received the copy, along with a bill for $1.50 in his commissioner's packet.
Philip Briddell, the board's vice president, said that it's township policy that if the board, as a whole, requests information, they have access to it. But if just one commissioner seeks information, that's a different story.
Briddell said too many individual requests put a burden on township staff in the past.
Dennis Ness, a commissioner, said there's likely a fine line to be drawn as to what sort of information a commissioner can request.
During the meeting, Silberstein put forward a motion and an amended motion on the issue. It was tabled until next month.
In the amended motion, Silberstein said there should be restrictions as to what information a commissioner can see, such as personal personnel records.
"I don't believe we, as commissioners, have access to personal records," he said.
Also in the amended motion, Silberstein said commissioners should be allowed to request up to $100 worth of information. Anything over that, and commissioners would have to pick up the tab themselves.
For the [York] Daily Record/Sunday News
A York Township commissioner said he shouldn't have to file Right-to-Know requests to the township to get information that he plans to address during board of commissioner meetings.
Ken Silberstein argued during a board of commissioners meeting Tuesday night that commissioners should be privy to information held by the township.
"For me to pay to get information is horrible," Silberstein said.
The issue stems from July when Silberstein asked for a taped transcript of the July 23 commissioners meeting. The township records meetings on compact disks, which are then used to compile the official minutes.
Silberstein said he was told that he had to file a Right-to-Know request and would have to pay $1.50 for the copy of the CD.
Under the Right-to-Know Law, municipalities can charge for distributing requested information.
Township Manager Elizabeth Heathcote said she had made the decision to have Silberstein file a request because of the cost and time it would take to make the copy.
Silberstein said that he received the copy, along with a bill for $1.50 in his commissioner's packet.
Philip Briddell, the board's vice president, said that it's township policy that if the board, as a whole, requests information, they have access to it. But if just one commissioner seeks information, that's a different story.
Briddell said too many individual requests put a burden on township staff in the past.
Dennis Ness, a commissioner, said there's likely a fine line to be drawn as to what sort of information a commissioner can request.
During the meeting, Silberstein put forward a motion and an amended motion on the issue. It was tabled until next month.
In the amended motion, Silberstein said there should be restrictions as to what information a commissioner can see, such as personal personnel records.
"I don't believe we, as commissioners, have access to personal records," he said.
Also in the amended motion, Silberstein said commissioners should be allowed to request up to $100 worth of information. Anything over that, and commissioners would have to pick up the tab themselves.