5.e)2) Information Guide for Members of the PublicCANDIA
Guide for Members of the Public Requesting Information
July 1, 2008
Reviewed and Updated July 6, 2009
Reviewed and Updated July 23, 2010
Reviewed and Updated August 12, 2011
Reviewed and Updated August 9, 2012
Reviewed and Updated September 25, 2012
Reviewed and Updated June 16, 2015
City of Scandia, Minnesota
14727 209th St. N. Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone: 651433-2274 Fax: 651433-5112
www.ci.scandia.mn.us
This document is required by Minnesota Statutes, section 13.03, subdivision 2(b).
Right to Access Public Data
The Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13) presumes that all government data are
public unless a state or federal law says the data are not public. Government data is a term that
means all recorded information a government entity has, including paper, email, CD-ROMs,
photographs, etc.
The Data Practices Act also provides that the City of Scandia must keep all government data in a
way that makes it easy for you, as a member of the public, to access public data. You have the
right to look at (inspect), free of charge, all public data that we keep. You also have the right to
get copies of public data. The Data Practices Act allows us to charge for copies. You have the
right to look at data, free of charge, before deciding to request copies.
How to Make a Data Request
To look at data or request copies of data that the City of Scandia keeps, make a written request.
Make your wirtten request for data to the appropriate individual listed in the Data Practices
Contacts document on page 4. You may make your written request for data by mail, delivery,
fax or e-mail, using the data request form on page 6. Printable copies of the request form may
also be downloaded from the City of Scandia web site (www.ci.scandia.mn.us.)
If you choose not to use the data request form, your written request should include:
that you, as a member of the public, are making a request for data under the Data Practices
Act, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13;
whether you would like to look at the data, get copies of the data, or both; and
a clear description of the data you would like to inspect or have copied.
The City of Scandia cannot require you, as a member of the public, to identify yourself or
explain the reason for your data request. However, depending on how you want us to process
your request (if, for example, you want us to mail you copies of data), we may need some
information about you. If you choose not to give us any identifying information, we will provide
you with contact information so you may check on the status of your request. In addition, please
keep in mind that if we do not understand your request and have no way to contact you, we will
not be able to begin processing your request.
How We Respond to a Data Request
Upon receiving your written request, we will work to process it.
If we do not have the data, we will notify you in writing as soon as reasonably possible.
If we have the data, but the data are not public, we will notify you in writing as soon as
reasonably possible and state which specific law says the data are not public.
If we have the data, and the data are public, we will respond to your request appropriately
and promptly, within a reasonable amount of time by doing one of the following:
o arrange a date, time, and place to inspect data, for free, if your request is to look at the
data, or
o provide you with copies of the data as soon as reasonably possible. You may choose
to pick up your copies, or we will mail or fax them to you. If you want us to send you
the copies, you will need to provide us with an address or fax number. We will
provide electronic copies (such as email or CD-ROM) upon request if we keep the
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data in electronic format. Information about copy charges is on page 5. We also will
arrange for you to pre -pay for the copies.
If you do not understand some of the data (technical terminology, abbreviations, or acronyms),
please let us know. We will give you an explanation if you ask.
The Data Practices Act does not require us to create or collect new data in response to a data
request if we do not already have the data, or to provide data in a specific form or arrangement if
we do not keep the data in that form or arrangement. (For example, if the data you request are on
paper only, we are not required to create electronic documents to respond to your request.) If we
agree to create data in response to your request, we will work with you on the details of your
request, including cost and response time.
Ina addition, the Data Practices Act does not require us to answer questions that are not requests
for data.
Requests for Summary Data
Summary data are statistical records or reports that are prepared by removing all identifiers from
private or confidential data on individuals. The preparation of summary data is not a means to
gain access to private or confidential data. The City of Scandia will prepare summary data if you
make your request in writing and pre -pay for the cost of creating the data. Upon receiving your
written request — you may use the data request form on page 6 — we will respond within ten
business days with the data or details of when the data will be ready and how much we will
charge.
Data Practices Contacts
City of Scandia, Minnesota
Responsible Authority
Kristina Handt, City Administrator/Clerk
14727 209th St. N.
Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone: 651433-2274 Ext. 101
Fax: 651433-5112
E -Mail: k.handt@ci.scandia.mn.us
Data Practices Designee(s)
Brenda Eklund, Deputy Clerk
14727 2091h St. N.
Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone: 651433-2274 Ext. 100
Fax: 651433-5112
E -Mail: b.eklund@,ci.scandia.mn.us
Designee for: Meeting Minutes, Ordinances, City Council Resolutions, and City Council
Meeting Packets
Mike Hinz, Volunteer Fire Chief
15040 Scandia Trail
Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone: 651433-4383
E -Mail: mike.hinz(Z�,scandiafire.com
Designee for: information concerning all aspects of Fire Department operations
Data Practices Compliance Official
Kristina Handt, City Administrator/Clerk
14727 209th St. N.
Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone: 651433-2274 Ext. 101
Fax: 651433-5112
E -Mail: k.handt@ci.scandia.mn.us
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Copy Costs — Members of the Public
City of Scandia, Minnesota
The City of Scandia charges members of the public for copies of government data. These
charges are authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.03, subdivision 3(c). We do not
charge for copies if the cost is less than $10.
For 100 or Fewer Paper Copies — 25 Cents Per Page
100 or fewer pages of black and white, letter or legal size paper copies cost 25¢ for a one-sided
copy, or 50¢ for a two-sided copy.
Most Other Types of Copies — Actual Cost
The charge for most other types of copies, when a charge is not set by statute or rule, is the actual
cost of searching for and retrieving the data and making the copies.
In determining the actual cost of making paper or electronic copies, we factor in employee time,
the cost of the materials onto which we are copying the data (paper, CD, DVD, etc.), and mailing
costs (if any). If your request is for copies of data that we cannot reproduce ourselves, such as
photographs, we will charge you the actual cost we must pay an outside vendor for the copies.
The cost of employee time to search for data, retrieve data, and make copies is $27.42 per hour.
If, because of the subject matter of your request, we find it necessary for a higher -paid employee
to search for and retrieve the data, we will calculate the search and retrieval portion of the copy
charge at the higher salary/wage.
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Data Request Form — Members of the Public
City of Scandia, Minnesota
Date of request:
I am requesting access to data in the following way:
Note: inspection is free but you will be charged for the copies when the cost is over $10.00.
❑ Inspection
❑ Copies
❑ Both inspection and copies
These are the data I am requesting:
Note: Describe the data you are requesting as specifically as possible. If you need more space,
please use the back of this form.
Contact Information
Name:
Address:
Phone number: Email address:
You do not have to provide any of the above contact information. However, if you want us to
mail you copies of data, we will need some type of contact information. In addition, if we do not
understand your request and need to get clarification from you, without contact information we
will not be able to begin processing your request until you contact us.
The City of Scandia will respond to your request as soon as reasonably possible.
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