Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hassel would like to increase fees for public records. He told the Marshall County Council Monday morning that his department is getting a lot of requests for digital copies of various items.
“We get requests for photographs from accident reports and they want them digitally,” said Sheriff Hassel. “They also request 911 calls and radio dispatches for a 911 call. It is considered public record for the most part. There are some stuff we have to redact, but we basically have to provide it.
He explained that there isn’t a fee schedule for those particular requests and he would like to establish some monetary figure.
There are certain charges for paper copies, accident reports, gun permits (state mandated), and background checks where ordinances are on the books that pertain to those fees. There isn’t one for these new types of requests.
The council members suggested that Hassel talk with County Attorney Jim Clevenger about some guidelines as some of the fees could be regulated under state statute. The sheriff may also check with neighboring departments to see what they charge in terms of digital copies for public requests.
