Office of Open Records Counsel Archives - Page 4 of 9 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

5 Jul, 2017

Lee Pope promoted to Open Records Counsel, replaces Ann Butterworth

By Deborah Fisher|2017-07-05T09:59:07-05:00July 5, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel|Tags: Ann Butterworth, Lee Pope, Office of Open Records Counsel, Rachel Buckley|0 Comments

Lee Pope, the state's new Open Records Counsel. Lee Pope, who joined the Office of Open Records Counsel last year as Deputy Open Records Counsel, has been promoted to Open Records Counsel, replacing Ann Butterworth. Butterworth is returning to her primary role as Assistant to the Comptroller for Public Finance. Butterworth had served since 2014 as the Open Records Counsel after Elisha Hodge left. Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said Pope has played a key role in eliminating a backlog of requests for assistance and in developing a model public records policy for use by government entities. Pope previously worked as Assistant Director and General Counsel for the Tennessee [...]

20 Jan, 2017

Office of Open Records Counsel finalizes model public records policy

By Deborah Fisher|2017-01-20T16:56:25-06:00January 20, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, requests|Tags: fees for public records, model public records policy, Office of Open Records Counsel, photos of public records, public records requests|1 Comment

The Office of Open Records Counsel has published a new model public records policy that can be used by government entities in establishing records policies, which are required by law this year. A new law mandates that all government entities in the state establish a public records policy by July 1, 2017. The policies must include the name of entity's public records request coordinator and include information about requesting public records and any fees. Open Records Counsel Ann Butterworth The model policy developed by the Open Records Counsel, along with updated Best Practices & Guidelines, includes many of the same principles and advice given previously by the office. But [...]

14 Dec, 2016

TCOG’s comments to proposed changes, additions to Office of Open Records Counsel forms, guidelines

By Deborah Fisher|2021-02-02T12:21:22-06:00December 14, 2016|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, requests, TCOG letters, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, advisory opinions, Office of Open Records Counsel, open data, programming fees, public records requests, TCOG news|0 Comments

TCOG Letter on Proposed OORC forms 12-14-16. The Office of Open Records Counsel, in addition to creating a model public records policy, is proposing changes to the Schedule of Reasonable Charges, model forms and advisory opinions guidelines. In total, nine documents, including three new forms and two new guidelines, are under revision or are new. These documents are important because they provide guidance on what is allowed by law in the public records request process. The main changes proposed have to do with clarifying the public records request/response process. The office is also proposing that it have new discretion on whether or not to issue Advisory Opinions, which must be posted [...]

13 Dec, 2016

The Daily Times: Model records policy should not aid wallbuilders, suggest loopholes

By Deborah Fisher|2016-12-13T08:01:48-06:00December 13, 2016|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel|Tags: model public records policy, Office of Open Records Counsel, public records requests, requests by email, The Daily Times|0 Comments

We should listen to journalists in the field when it comes to access to public records. Buzz Trexler, editor at The Daily Times in Maryville, reminds me of a question I was once asked in a TV interview: What's the hardest public record to get? My answer: The record a government official doesn't want you to have. Too often, journalists are given the runaround or hit roadblocks when a public official for some reason doesn't want "the media" to have access to some public record, or want to delay news that the public record would convey. My observation has been that citizens, without the support of a media organization behind [...]

8 Dec, 2016

Read TCOG’s comments on proposed model public records policy

By Deborah Fisher|2017-02-20T09:04:33-06:00December 8, 2016|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, requests, TCOG letters, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Adam Yeomans, Advisory Committee on Open Government, Ann Butterworth, citizen id, model public records policy, Office of Open Records Counsel, open data, public records requests, requests by email, Sumner County School Board, TCOG news|0 Comments

TCOG Letter on Model Public Records Policy 12-7-16 Tennessee Coalition for Open Government provided written feedback Wednesday on the Office of Open Records Counsel's proposed "Best Practices & Guidelines and Model Public Records Policy." This policy is important because it is intended as a model for all government entities in the state as they move to adopt public records policies as required by a new law. Parts of the guidelines and model policy are beneficial to citizens and government entities -- such as an emphasis on the statutory requirement that public records requests be handled promptly. Adam Yeomans is TCOG's representative on the Advisory Committee on Open Government. He is [...]