FAQs

What contact information should I include on my request?

Requesters are strongly encouraged to provide at least some contact information so the city may communicate with you about your request. Providing an email address will allow you to log into the portal to view your request, and access records that the city will upload in response to your request, and are uploaded to your request. In addition, this will allow city staff to send you notifications regarding the status of your request. However, requesters may submit anonymous requests.

May I submit an anonymous request?

Yes, but please note that you will not receive updates regarding your request or be able to log into the Portal to access records uploaded by the city if you submit a request without contact information. It will be your responsibility to check the Portal for records that are posted publicly on the Portal in response to your request. Please also note that if you submit an anonymous request that does not include contact information, the city may close your request without a response if the city needs clarification about your request and cannot contact you.

Who can see my contact information?

Requesters' contact information is not published or viewable by other members of the public on the portal. However, your contact information, the content of your request, and the city's responses to your request are considered public records under the CPRA and may be released in response to a public records request; all information sent and received by any city employee is subject to the CPRA; therefore, any communications and data exchanged or provided to the city is a public record and may be released in response to a public records request.

General information

Requests on this portal are public. We suggest that you do not include confidential information such as birthdates or Social Security numbers.
Requesters’ information is not published on this portal; however, this information is public and may be released in response to a public records request.
Once you submit your request, you will receive email notifications regarding the status of your request. If you are not receiving the email notifications, check your spam/junk folder.
It is not necessary to enter the same request multiple times for each applicable department. The city can assign one request to multiple departments

How detailed should my request be?

The city strongly recommends including details that will facilitate a focused search, such as:

Describe the nature of the record being requested and/or provide the name or identification number of the records to the best of your knowledge.
Provide the time frame or date range you are interested in., for example: Fiscal Year 2021 or from February 2021 to present (date request submitted).
When possible, identify the departments and/or the city employees that may be involved in the subject matter.
Avoid abbreviations or acronyms.
When applicable, provide specific addresses or APNs, if known.
If you don't know the name of the record, describe the information you believe is contained in it.
If you would like to include a document with your request, you can upload it to the request after the request has been submitted.

Are there any fees or charges for public records requests?

The city may charge for the actual costs of duplicating paper records. There is no charge for electronic records that are provided via the public records portal.

When will I receive a response about my request?

Pursuant to the CPRA, within 10 days from the receipt of a request, the city will determine and notify the requester about whether the city has responsive records in its possession. Depending on the complexity of the request, the city may invoke a 14 day extension to determine whether responsive records exist. The city will make every effort to provide responsive non-exempt and non-privileged records within a reasonable timeframe; however, response times will vary depending on the types and volume of records requested and the scope or timeframe of the request.