There will be “sweeping changes” to the way the Town responds to requests for public records, Town Administrator Paul Dawson told the Marion Board of Selectmen on October 3 – state-mandated changes that will require ample time and thought in order to comply, he added.
Governor Charlie Baker on June 3, 2016 signed into law An Act to Improve Public Records, new provisions to the Public Records Law that will go into effect January 1, 2017.
The new provisions, Dawson explained to the board, will require municipalities to designate one or more Records Access Officers (RAO) to coordinate the town’s response to requests for public records, assist the individuals seeking public records, assist in the preservation of records, and prepare guidelines that enable requestors to make informed requests.
Also under the new provisions, the municipalities in the Commonwealth must provide the requested information within 10 calendar days, a change from the current law that gives towns 10 days simply to respond to the request.
Beginning January 1, towns will also be limited in their charges for furnishing public records to requesters to $25 per hour maximum should the response require over two hours of employee work time.
Under the updated law, if a town fails to comply with the requirements within 10 days, an appeal that is petitioned to the Supervisor of Records and accepted may go directly to court and, if the requester prevails, the town is liable for legal fees and costs to the requester.
“It’s good in its intent,” said Dawson, “but it will force a number of changes for us, which I think are probably for the good … but we have to think a lot on the ways we do things.”
Dawson said he will continue to meet with staff internally to prepare for the changes and would keep the selectmen up to date on the information.
“This is going to have a significant impact on the … different ways on how we deliver the access to public records,” Dawson said. “This is a big change.”
Also during the meeting, the board honored retiring Veterans Office Principal Clerk Paula Butterfield who has served the Tri-Town veterans for 25 years. She will be leaving November 25 of this year.
Selectmen Chairman Jody Dickerson said that although Butterfield had only been working as veterans clerk in the Town of Marion for about two years, in that short period of time what she has done for Marion veterans was “remarkable,” as Dickerson put it.
“We really appreciate everything that you’ve done,” said Dickerson. “You definitely will be missed.”
Butterfield said her parting is bittersweet and that it has been an honor to serve the local veterans for all these years.
“It’s going to be hard for me to leave,” said Butterfield. “I’m going to miss my veterans and their families.”
The selectmen each thanked Butterfield personally and gave her a basket of flowers.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 6 when the board will meet with the Finance Committee at 6:30 pm at the 13 Atlantis Drive building to discuss the Special Town Meeting warrant.
By Jean Perry