The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Roswell might make anonymous requesters appear in person.

- By Adrianne Murchison adrianne.murchison@ajc.com

Roswell is proposing a requiremen­t that people who submit anonymous open records requests pay for and pick up documents in person.

It’s a move that Richard T. Griffiths, a spokesman for the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, said is not in the spirit of the Open Records Act.

Roswell City Attorney David Davison said the proposal is targeting people who use fake names and addresses when requesting public records. Davison said that while the city is required to retrieve, redact and copy records that are requested, the added requiremen­t would be a way to ensure the city is paid for staff time spent compiling the requested informatio­n.

“This would protect the public dollars … and hopefully limit some of the time staff is required

to use finding all the records that are out there,” Davison said.

City Council, which was briefed on the proposal Tuesday, plans to vote on the measure during its next meeting.

The proposed resolution states “that public records will only be mailed, emailed or delivered electronic­ally to entities or individual­s who provide verifiable names and addresses.”

“Anyone wishing to remain

anonymous or use aliases may come into City Hall to inspect and copy public documents and to pay for such records and associated search, retrieval, redaction and production or copying costs as provided by law,” the resolution says.

Davison said he was advised by the Attorney General’s Office before drafting the resolution. The AG’S office did not return phone calls or an email from The Atlanta

Journal-constituti­on.

Griffiths said there is nothing in the Open Records Act that prevents people from being anonymous when seeking informatio­n.

“Showing up in person is identifyin­g yourself,” Griffiths said. “You can remain anonymous, but you’ve got to show up in person … and if you’ve got a legitimate fear of retaliatio­n for seeking a certain record, that doesn’t defuse that.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilwom­an Sarah Beeson was the sole council member opposed to the measure and pointed to Alpharetta, where in most cases people pay for public records online before they are released electronic­ally.

“I cannot be emphatic enough about how much I opposed this resolution,” she said.

Alpharetta City Clerk Lauren Shapiro said that public safety agencies and municipal court require identifica­tion when fulfilling open records requests. Alpharetta Assistant City Administra­tor James Drinkard said that is true when cases are open or under investigat­ion.

“That informatio­n cannot be released to anybody but the people involved and their legal counsel,” he said.

On Wednesday, Beeson said Roswell officials decided to bring forth the open records requiremen­t because of an abundance of public record requests from the community group Roswell Truth, which is critical of the current city administra­tion through social media and email.

Jason Yowell, a longtime resident and member of the Transporta­tion Advisory Commission, said an open records request was filed by someone impersonat­ing him earlier this year — falsely using his name and phone number. He said he was contacted by the city clerk’s office because the request was suspicious in asking for emails between Yowell and another city official.

Yowell said he has filed a police report over the issue and supports the proposed requiremen­t.

“I’ve always been very direct about any informatio­n I ask for,” he said. “I don’t see how identifyin­g who you are inhibits that access.”

 ?? COURTESY OF CITY OF ROSWELL ?? Roswell might require anonymous requesters of open records to pay for and pick up documents in person.
COURTESY OF CITY OF ROSWELL Roswell might require anonymous requesters of open records to pay for and pick up documents in person.

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