CITY OF BREMERTON
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY
Disclosing Records and Documents
The City of Bremerton is required by the Washington State Public Records Act RCW 42.56 to allow the
general public to inspect and/or copy certain documents during normal business hours Monday through
Thursday. A fee for providing copies may be charged.
In gen
eral, most of the information processed and retained by the City, such as ordinances, resolutions,
contracts, studies, reports, policies and procedures, and correspondence fall in the category of "public"
information and thus must be disclosed under the law. Certain information is exempt from disclosure (RCW
42.56.210 -.480), including but not limited to:
1. Per
sonal information in files maintained for employees, appointees, volunteers, or elected officials and
such other personal information which would constitute an invasion of privacy, including, but not limited to,
residential addresses and telephone numbers, employment applications, and employment tests.
2. Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations and departmental memoranda in which opinions are
expressed or policies formulated or recommended in connection with any Department action, except when
publicly cited.
3. Contents of any real estate appraisals made for or by the Department relative to the acquisition or sale of
property by the Department are exempt until three years after the date of the appraisal or until sale is
abandoned or property sold..
4. Valuable designs, drawings, research data, etc., obtained within five years of the request for disclosure,
when disclosing would provide private gain and public loss.
5. Records relevant to a controversy to which the Department is a party but which records would not be
available to another party under the rules of pretrial discovery for causes pending in the superior courts.
6. Lists of individuals (e.g., customer lists) requested for commercial purposes.
7. Proprietary design information provided by equipment suppliers or consultants.
8. Financial or commercial information supplied by businesses or individuals in application for economic
development loans or program services.
9. The residential addresses and phone numbers of utility customers.
10. Taxpayer assessment and/or collection information except as necessary for civil or criminal judicial or
administrative proceedings.
Ques
tions about the State Public Records Act shall be referred to the City’s Public Records Officer:
Public Records Officer
345 6
TH
Street, Suite 100
Bremerton, WA 98337
(360)473-5323
(360)473-5161 fax
Public.Records@ci.bremerton.wa.us
The Public Records Law requires that requests for access to records be responded to within five (5)
business days by either providing the records or providing an estimate of time when the records will
be available.
Fees
for Copies:
Photocopies/Scans .................................................... $0.15/page for request over 50 pages
Computer Disks ......................................................... $2.00
Certification ................................................................ $5.00
Other Categories – Refer to BMC Chapter 3.01
