Crook County updates public-records policy; board to consider formal adoption at regular meeting

Staff reviewed an updated public-records request policy and recommended the board adopt the updated version at the next regular meeting. Key changes presented: the county manager or designee is designated as the policy administrator; the earlier term "records custodian" was changed to "records officer" to better match statutory meaning; references to internal forms were pulled out of the policy text; and the policy includes an acknowledgement timeline (within five days) consistent with Oregon public-records law.

Staff also discussed fee practices: the policy treats the first half-hour of staff time as de minimis (no charge), includes fee-waiver language, and allows the county manager to update forms. Staff said the revised policy incorporated feedback from legal counsel and local media and that adoption at the next regular meeting would allow additional public review.

Commissioners thanked staff for the revisions, praised the county's approach compared with other counties, and agreed the policy should be discussed at the upcoming regular meeting for formal action.

Action taken: The board asked staff to place the revised public-records policy on the next regular meeting agenda for adoption. No adoption occurred at the work session.

Why this matters: The policy defines how the public requests county records and clarifies roles, timelines, and fee practices; an updated policy affects transparency and how staff manage records requests.

What's next: Staff will publish the revised policy in the packet for the next regular meeting, allow public comment, and seek formal adoption.