Right-to-Know

RICE TOWNSHIP RIGHT TO KNOW POLICY
Originally adopted December 9, 2008

Open Record Officer

     Requests shall be in writing and directed to the Township Secretary at the Rice Township Municipal Building, 3000 Church Road, Mountaintop, PA 18707.  Written requests shall be on a form provided by the township and shall include the date of the request, the name and address of the requester, and a clear description of the records sought.  In requests addressed to the Rice Township Police Department, the Chief shall handle all requests according to State law.

General

     Public records will be available for inspection and copying at the Rice Township Municipal Building during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with the exception of holidays and weekends.

Requests

     Requests shall be made in writing to the township Open Records Officer on a form provided by the township.  (See form below)

Fees

     Paper copies will be $0.25 per page per side.  The certification of a record is $1 per record.  Specialized documents including, but not limited to blue prints, color copies, and non-standard sized documents shall be charged the actual cost of production.  If mailing is requested, the cost of postage will be charged.  The township shall require prepayment if the total fees are estimated to exceed $100.

Response

     The township shall make a good-faith effort to provide the requested public record(s) as promptly as possible.  The Open Records Officer shall cooperate with those requesting records to review and/or duplicate original township documents while taking reasonable measure to protect township documents from the possibility of theft, damage, and/or modification.
The Open Records Officer shall review all written requests for access to public records.  As soon as possible, but no later than five business days after receiving a written request to access public records, the Open Records Officer shall respond to such requests in writing consistent with Act 3 of 2008, the Right-to-Know Law.
If access to a record is denied, the response shall include a reason for denial as stipulated in Act 3 of 2009, the Right-to-Know Law.

Contact Information for Appeals

     If a written request is denied or deemed denied, the requester may file an appeal in writing to Erik Arneson, Executive Director, Office of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225.
Appeals of criminal records shall be made to Thomas Hogans, Assistant District Attorney, District Attorney Appeals Officer, Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, 200 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711.


Right-to-Know Request Form
How to File an Appeal