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7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 Access: In most cases, fees imposed are at the agency’s discretion Continued from Page 1A growing threat to expanding openness at all levels of gov- ernment, a cornerstone of Sunshine Week. The week- long open government ini- tiative is celebrating its 10th anniversary beginning March 15. “It’s incredibly easy for an agency that doesn’t want cer- tain records to be exposed to impose fees in the hopes that the requester is dissuaded,” said Adam Marshall, a fellow with the Reporters Commit- tee for Freedom of the Press, which sponsors Sunshine Week with the American Society of News Editors. “If the people don’t know what’s going on, either because they don’t have direct access to information or because the media isn’t able to provide them with access to information about what their government is doing, it’s im- possible for the people to ex- ercise any sense of informed self-governance.” Fees can be charged for searching for records, making copies, paying a lawyer to re- dact certain parts of the infor- mation or hiring technical ex- perts to analyze the data. In most cases, the fees imposed are at the agency’s discretion; those agencies sometimes waive the costs or requesters can appeal them to an administrative board. But in other cases, Marshall said news organizations and private citizens are faced with the “ri- diculous choice” of weighing WKHFRVWVDQGEHQH¿WVRIEHLQJD responsible public steward. In Florida, the Broward 6KHULII¶V 2I¿FH WROG -DVRQ Parsley, executive editor of the South Florida Gay News, last year that it would cost $399,000 and take four years to provide every email for a one- year period that contained cer- tain derogatory words for gays. 7KH UHDVRQ DFFRUGLQJ WR RI¿- cials: The email system could not perform a keyword search of all accounts at once. Parsley says he has talked to computer experts who disagree and say a modern email system could handle the request easily, but he doesn’t have the money or the time to take the matter to court. “It would be their word against ours,” he said. “Even if we could pay that amount, it would be four years. What good would that do me at that point, anyway?” ACCESS IN OREGON AP Photo/Alan Diaz Jason Parsley, executive editor of the South Florida Gay News, poses for a photo at his office in Wilton Manors, Fla. The public’s right to see government records is coming at an ev- er-increasing price, as authorities set fees and hourly charges that often prevent information from flowing. Broward Sheriff’s Office told Parsley last year that it would cost $399,000 and take four years to provide every email for a one-year period that contained certain derogatory words for gays. If the goal was to keep him from learning that deputies used such terms, authorities won, Parsley said. Broward County Sheriff’s Lt. Eric Caldwell said the de- partment was not trying to be evasive. He said each employ- ee’s email is stored on a tape and kept at a remote archive facility. It has to be retrieved physically and then converted LQWR D 0LFURVRIW 2XWORRN ¿OH which can then be searched. “If we have it, we have to provide it,” he said. “The rea- son this cost so much is that this person had a very vague request.” Virginia law allows reason- able charges not to exceed the actual cost of accessing, dupli- cating, supplying, or searching for the requested records. But to get electronic copies of Vir- ginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s daily calendar for nearly 10 PRQWKV RI¿FLDOV WROG WKH $3 that it would need to pay about $500 upfront. That’s because McAuliffe’s counsel said staff would have had to search, re- view and possibly redact cer- tain calendar entries. Mean- while, in California, daily FDOHQGDUHQWULHVIRU*RY-HUU\ Brown are routinely provided at no cost to the AP. Another example: Iowa’s newly created Public Informa- tion Board ruled in December that the state Department of Corrections could charge the Marshall Project, a nonprof- it that reports on the criminal justice system, $2,020 for ac- cess to its federally mandat- ed reports on sexual violence DJDLQVW LQPDWHV ,RZD RI¿FLDOV said it would take an employee 108 hours at $15 per hour to re- view, redact and copy 2,672 re- cords, plus a 15-cents-per-page charge for copies. Some larger states charge nothing or just a nominal fee for access to those reports. “I think there’s a genuine effort to be responsive, but WKHUH LV D KLJKHU FRVW WR IXO¿OO these requests,” said Dan Bev- arly, acting executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, a non- SUR¿WEDVHGDWWKH8QLYHUVLW\RI Missouri-Columbia that works to protect the public’s right to open government. “There are other times where there’s a de- liberate effort to circumvent the system.” Lawmakers in several states have proposed or passed laws seeking to address those fees. Michigan lawmakers re- cently approved a law mandat- ing that agencies cannot charge more than 10 cents a page for documents. Further, people can ¿OH D ODZVXLW LI WKH\ EHOLHYH they are being overcharged and can try to get the amount reduced. If a court agrees, it must assess $1,000 in punitive damages. In February, Maryland law- makers introduced a bill that would establish a compliance board to handle complaints and cap the fees agencies can charge for public documents. Yet other states are consid- ering actions that could restrict access or deter those making requests. Following complaints from Tennessee’s school boards association, a proposal in the state Legislature would allow agencies to charge for anything Some recent developments regarding the cost of seeking access to information: Journalists in Oregon say high fees charged by government agencies are one of the biggest obstacles to obtaining public records. Last fall, the Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene asked the University of Oregon for records related to a nonprofit group trying to bring a major track meet to campus. The university demanded $2,163 to produce them. After the newspaper complained the fees hindered news coverage in the public interest, interim University President Scott Coltrane waived the fee, but much of the information was blacked out. The news- paper has appealed the redactions to the district attorney. After a teacher sued for the right to carry a concealed handgun into class for per- sonal protection in 2007, The Mail Tribune newspaper in Medford wanted to know how many other teachers could potentially do the same. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office refused to supply a database of concealed weapons permits, saying the in- formation was personal, despite the words “This is a public record,” printed on the permit. After the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled in the newspaper’s favor in 2010, the county demanded more than $18,000 for staff and attorney time to review and redact the documents. By then, the teacher had lost her lawsuit; the newspaper dropped the request. The Oregonian newspaper asked the Oregon Department of Energy for emails and documents about business energy tax credits awarded to solar energy projects between 2003 and 2013. The agency demanded $9,830 for 170 hours of attorney and staff time to produce the documents. The reporter reduced his request to a data- base at a cost of less than $500. The Associated Press asked state police for records pertaining to their 2012 investi- more than one hour of time ful- ¿OOLQJUHFRUGVUHTXHVWV&XUUHQW law allows them to charge for copies, but not for the time they spend collecting and redacting documents. A legislative anal- ysis of a similar proposal that failed in 2011 estimated that lo- cal governments would collect about $1.6 million in fees under the change. “If someone can’t afford the fees, they can’t see the re- cords,” said Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Ten- nessee Coalition for Open Gov- ernment. “There is nothing yet to safeguard against abuse by JRYHUQPHQWRI¿FLDOVZKRPD\ ZDQWWREORFNDFFHVVE\LQÀDW- ing fees.” An Indiana proposal would allow a searching fee for record requests that take longer than WZR KRXUV WR IXO¿OO$IWHU WKDW time, an agency could charge up to $20 an hour and require payment up front. The search time would not include time gation of the director of a commission regu- lating boxing and martial arts after $22,000 in cash and checks was found lying around his office. Last December, the state police demanded $4,000 for 25 hours of staff time to prepare, review and redact materials. The AP dropped the request. State police said they found no evidence of wrongdoing. ACCESS IN WASHINGTON State law dictates that only “reasonable” charges may be imposed for providing copies of public records and that no agency can charge more than the actual cost of copying, an amount not to exceed 15 cents a page. Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, said most state agencies provide electronic records free by email or at a nominal cost if provid- ed on CD. Earlier this year, the Legislature consid- ered a bill that would allow state agencies to charge for digital public records. House Bill 1684 passed one committee but failed to get a vote in another, mean- ing it is likely dead for the year. Under the bill, the first 10 megabytes of digital public records would be free, but the cost would increase to 15 cents per megabyte thereaf- ter. For videos, the first five minutes would be provided free of charge, with additional footage costing 10 cents per minute. Those charges would be capped at $50 for the first batch of digital records, increasing to $100 for additional batches. Nixon says he is not opposed to agencies charging something for providing digital records, but he said the costs in the bill language were unreasonable. “There’s no rational relationship between 15 cents a megabyte and the actual cost of copying electronic records,” he said. Agencies can be allowed to charge some- thing, Nixon said, “but they should not be making a profit off of it.” VSHQWUHGDFWLQJFRQ¿GHQWLDOLQ- formation, but opponents said the fee will discourage more in- depth records requests and give RI¿FLDOV DQRWKHU WRRO WR ¿JKW transparency. Most agencies in Washing- ton state provide electronic re- cords free by email, and state law caps charges for copies at 15 cents a page. But earlier this year, the Legislature considered a bill that would allow agencies to charge for digital public re- cords, raising concerns among good-government advocates. The bill passed one committee but failed to get a vote in anoth- er, meaning it is likely dead for the year. Agencies can be allowed to levy charges, says Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Govern- ment, “but they should not be PDNLQJDSUR¿WRIIRILW´ 6RPHJRYHUQPHQWRI¿FLDOV say they are unable to waive fees because their budgets are tight. Complicating matters further is a larger number of records being generated and the inability of agencies to maintain and process them, leading to more time and re- sources dedicated to research- ing requests. In most instances, the price WR IXO¿OO UHTXHVWV FRPHV GRZQ to what’s being sought and the costs associated with re- sponding to them, said Chuck Thompson, executive director of the International Municipal Lawyers Association, a non- SUR¿W JURXS UHSUHVHQWLQJ ORFDO government attorneys across North America. “There’s probably a fairly low percentage of governments that are attempting to provide barriers to the release of infor- mation,” Thompson said. “It’s really important that the public KDYHWKHDELOLW\WR¿QGRXWZKDW their government’s doing, but they can’t bring their govern- ment to their knees.” CL ASSIF IE D M ARK ETPL A CE W E GE T RESU L TS N EW N EW TOD AY ! TOD AY ! P lace classified ad s o n lin e at w w w .d ailyasto rian .co m o r call 503-325-3211 46 A NNOUNCEMENTS K IM B ERLY FLAIG G cla ssified sa les representa tive Look a t these a ds first for N orth Coa st com m u n ity pa pers Look a t these a ds first The Da ily Asto ria n • Chin o o k O b server Co a st M a rketp la ce • Co a st W eeken d S ea sid e S ig n a l • Ca n n o n Bea ch Ga zette Pla ce yo u r a d to d a y 5 03.325 .3211 • ext . 231 cla ssified s@ d a ilya sto ria n .co m EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST Coast Rehabilitation Services is looking for a compassionate and highly motivated person to work along side people with developmental disabilities. Position to assist individuals seek and maintain employment in the community. Knowledge of the Astoria employment market, sales and business is essential. Knowledge of person centered planning, Vocational Rehabilitation, job analysis and development, vocational assessments and job placement are helpful as well as supervisory experience. Competitive wage and generous benefits including medical, dental, short-term disability and 401k; On the job training provided; Must be a Driver, pass drug test and crimi- nal background check; high school graduate or GED required. Please submit a letter of interest and application to Human Resources PO BOX 760, Warrenton OR 97146. Equal Opportunity Employer. UPGRADING your stereo? Sell the used equipment fast, by listing it in the Daily Astorian classified section. Call 325-3211 today! N EW Make a difference at Job Corps! MTC seeks candidates for the following position serving youth, ages 16-24, at our Astoria campus: •Galley Cooking Instructor Apply at www.mtc.jobs and enter Astoria, OR in the search field. Management and Training Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Disabilities/ Veterans MTC Values Diversity! Drug-free workplace and tobacco-free campus Astoria: 1695 Irving, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, shower only, basement, no dogs, no smoke. $975 +deposits. ASTORIA COAST INC. (503)325-9093 Seaside: Small studio apartment. Ocean view, firepalce $600 month. Utilities included. (503)209-0333 XL 1200 Custom HD Sportster black Low miles, extra chrome parts, many extras. $4900 OBO. Call details (360)775-7125 TOD AY ! RV Resort at Cannon Beach – Front Desk The RV Resort at Cannon Beach is seeking an outgoing, positive person with a sincere Spirit of Hospitality to join our team. Prerequisites include a team orientation, flexible and a multi tasking skill set. Must have computer skills. Our culture honors hard work, honesty, a sense of humor and individuality. At its core is a commitment to hiring for the Hospitality Attitude. In addition to offering a very competitive wage, the RV Resort offers many benefits to our employees. These benefits include paid vacation, medical, profit sharing/401K and more. NEW STARTING COMPETITIVE WAGE. Please apply in person at RV Resort at Cannon Beach at 340 Elk Creek Road. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle at (503) 436-2231. 40 P ERSONALS Good looking, mature, established man seeks long term relationship with women. Send information to connect Send reply to Box 227, c/o Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Sincere retired white male 60ʼs of good health, wishes to meet sincere retired female. For life time commitment. Age and weight unimportant, must be serious for replys Write Mike with phone number PO box 476 Cathlament WA, 98612 WE DELIVER! Please leave a light on or install motion detector lights to make your carrierʼs job easier. Thanks! THE DAILY ASTORIAN 45 P UBLIC N OTICES Occasionally other companies make telemarketing calls off clas- sified ads. These companies are not affiliated with The Daily Asto- rian and customers are under no obligation to participate. If you would like to contact the at- torney general or be put on the do not call list, here are the links to both of them Complaint form link: http://www.doj.state.or.us/ finfraud/ Request for Proposal 2015-2016 Contract for Jewell School District Pre-School/Daycare The Jewell School District welcomes existing businesses, individuals or other organizations to compete for the contractual opportunities to provide the Pre-School-Daycare Program for the 2015-2016 school year. We are looking to begin with a one year contract with the opportunity to extend the contract upon agreement spring 2016. Deadline for bid submissions is 3:00 pm April 1, 2015. Please visit our website home page (jewell.k12.or.us) for more infor- mation or call 503 755-2451 ext. 2410. If You Live In Seaside or Cannon Beach DIAL 325-3211 FOR A Daily Astorian Classified Ad 70 H ELP W ANTED 70 H ELP W ANTED Beach Burrito Wants You! If you are responsible, hardworking, and friendly- Beach Burrito wants you to join our exceptional crew. Shifts available days and nights. Apply Beach Burrito 11 W Marine Dr. Astoria 2pm to 5pm. Drug screen required. Big Foots Steak House Now hiring for •experienced line cook, •prep cook. for a fast paced restaurant. Must be detail oriented. Apply in person at 2427 S. Roosevelt Seaside. Box K Auto Repair, located on the Long Beach Peninsula is looking for a full time automotive tech. We offer a full benefit package including medical, retirement, paid vacations, continuing education and all ASE certifications. If you want to work in a professional automotive repair shop that emphasizes in doing the repair work correctly, customer service and satisfaction, has a clean, heated, well stocked shop, large customer base, proven track record and has been in business for over 30 years. If you are ready for a change now is your chance! email resumes to boxkauto@willapabay.org Best Western Ocean View Resort-Seaside, OR - Open positions: • ASSIST. HEAD HOUSEKEEPER • HOUSEKEEPERS • RESTAURANT SERVERS • BARTENDAR •FRONT DESK Guest Services Rep. (GSR) We are seeking friendly, caring, hospitality oriented people who enjoy serving guests with superior "I-care" customer service in a positive work environment. We offer competitive wages with the opportunity to earn incentive pay through achievable goals. Please apply in person at 414 N Prom in Seaside, or email your resume to: HR@oceanviewresort.com CAREGIVERS WANTED for immediate hire in Tillamook, Seaside, & Astoria. FT & PT, great pay, & bonuses. Seeking both companion caregivers & CNA's and/or CG's w/ memory care experience. Email name, contact info, availability, & summary of experience office@caringforthecoast.com LIVE OUTSIDE ASTORIA? To place your ad in the Daily Astorian Classifieds, simply dial: 1-800-781-3211 Itʼs fast and itʼs toll free!
