VALDOSTA — Georgia’s Open Records Act allows the public access to almost all documents held by local government. 

The Open Records Act defines public records as “all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, computer based or generated information, or similar material prepared and maintained or received in the course of the operation of a public office or agency.”

If a public document is withheld, the government agency or public records custodian must cite the code section of Georgia law exempting that document from being inspected or copied.

An open records request is made directly to the government agency’s custodian of records and can be either written or verbal, according to law.georgia.gov.

A response to an open records request must be given within three business days of the request; that response does not have to provide the requested document but could simply answer the request has been heard and is being processed.

City of Valdosta

For the City of Valdosta, open records requests are sent to City Clerk Teresa Bolden. According to the Valdosta City website, Bolden will accept an informal written or oral request, or she may provide an open records request form to be filled out.

“Upon receipt of request, the City Clerk will notify the appropriate Department Head/Director/Division Head by Form ORR-1 for retrieval of information,” according to the Valdosta City website.

For open record requests involving accident reports and the like, the Valdosta Police and Fire Department are contacted. The VPD has an open records request technician whose services can be requested by calling the VPD at (229) 242-2606. The fire department is available at (229) 333-1835.

Valdosta Police

Department

Lt. Adam Bembry of the Valdosta Police Department said release of records is handled very carefully due to the amount of personal information.

“The records are extremely important because say you get in a car accident, your driver’s license, your address, your insurance, your phone number, your date of birth, all that’s on there, and so … something as minor as an accident report, we have to have them fill out a sheet (with) who they are, why they need it, everything, because there is so much personal information on there.”

Lowndes County

For Lowndes County, open records requests go to the Office of the County Clerk. These requests may be verbal, via email or by completing the open records request form, which is available as a PDF at lowndescounty.com under the Office of the County Clerk.

Paige Dukes, Lowndes County clerk, explained some common misunderstandings with record requests.

“Staff and officials try to work with citizens with regards to requests that are actually a question that needs to be answered, not a request for documents,” Dukes said. “Sometimes there is confusion between the two.  An open records request is a request for existing documents. It does not provide for documents to be created. Regardless of the nature, every effort is made to provide citizens with their information. Local governments do not own information that is subject to the Open Records Act, they are only the repository for what already belongs to the public.”

One can be immediately notified once Lowndes County agendas and meeting minutes are published by joining Notify Me, which is linked on the website under Office of the County Clerk. Meeting agendas are also posted in the first floor lobby of the Administrative Building, 327 N. Ashley St.

Valdosta City Schools

For Valdosta City Schools, Joy Jennings, the executive secretary to the superintendent, can be reached at (229) 671-6053 for a records request. The request must be submitted in writing, whether that is by email or letter. After the submission, the school system has a certain time when the request must be answered.

The cost will depend on the amount of work necessary to answer the request. A simpler request will cost less than a complicated request.

Lowndes County Schools

At Lowndes County Schools, all written requests for public records made pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated Title 50, Chapter 18, Article 4, must be sent to the open records officer, Randy Cooper, director, Human Resources at Lowndes County Schools, 1592 Norman Drive, Valdosta, Ga. 31601 or to randycooper@lowndes.k12.ga.us.

According to “Georgia’s Sunshine Laws: A Citizen’s Guide to Open Government,” otherwise known as the Red Book, the cost of public documents copies generally cannot exceed 10 cents per page. Agencies may charge for the time taken to retrieve and copy the documents as well but with no charge for the first 45 minutes of labor. There is no fee for inspection of records that are routinely subject to public inspection, such as city ordinances.

The following outlines contact information for record custodians in the region: 

City of Moultrie

Tina Coleman: (229) 668-0023, fax (229) 668-0351

A form for filing an open records request can be found at http://www.moultriega.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Open-Records-Request-Form_new.pdf.

Forms may be returned by fax or by mail to City Clerk’s Office, City of Moultrie, P.O. Box 3368, Moultrie, Ga. 31776. To pick up or drop off a request form in person, go to 21 First Ave. N.E.

Colquitt County

Commission

Melissa Lawson: (229) 616-7400

Forms may be returned by mailing to P.O. Box 517, Moultrie, Ga., 31776-0517. To pick up or drop off a request form in person, go to 101 E. Central Ave., Office 261-B.

 Colquitt County

Hospital Authority

Kenneth M. Turnipseed, board attorney: (229) 985-1590, fax (229) 985-0946, kturnipseed@moultriega.net

Written requests should be sent to Turnipseed at Whelchel & Carlton, LLP., P.O. Box 758, Moultrie, Ga. 31776

Moultrie Police Department

Cathy Gower: (229) 985-3131, ext. 3206, fax (229) 890-1916, cathy.gower@moultriega.com

Felisa Sumlin: (229) 985-3131, ext. 3201, fax (229) 890-1916, felisa.sumlin@moultriega.com

To pick up or drop off a form in person, visit police headquarters, 128 First St. S.W.

Colquitt County

Sheriff’s Office

Denise Elston: (229) 616-7430, fax (229) 616-7015

A written request is required. It can be mailed to P.O. Box 188, Moultrie, Ga. 31776, or in person at 200 Veterans Parkway N.

Baldwin County

and Milledgeville

Cindy Cunningham, county clerk, (478)445-4791

Bo Danuser, Milledgeville city clerk, (478) 414-4094

Gina Whitacre, Baldwin Board of Education records clerk, (478) 457-3303

Julie Lavender, Baldwin County Sheriffs Office records clerk, (478) 445-2115

Karen Youngblood, Milledgeville Police Department records clerk, (478) 414-4076

Local Government Web Links:

HOME

http://www.baldwincountyga.com/

Public Information available on City/County sites:

Meeting agendas, general announcements, minutes from previous meetings

Both Milledgeville’s City Council and the Baldwin Board of Commissioners will call executive sessions for personnel or legal matters after completing the agendas of their regular called meetings. Neither body requires the use of a template when filing open records requests, although Milledgeville will sometimes charge mone for labor and printing costs.

Thomas County

Commission

The county clerk is records custodian at (229) 225-4100. Requests are forwarded to appropriate department heads or agencies.

No specific records request form required. Letters, emails or phone calls are accepted. Outline records and content needed. Email TCBC@rose.net to learn the best source for information requested. Cost, if any, is forwarded to the person making the request. If the request can be downloaded from the server on reports formatted, there usually is no charge if the information can be emailed. Printing and mailing would involve appropriate charges.

 www.thomascountyboc.org. Find agendas, meetings ordinances, meeting minutes, employment opportunities, tax information, GIS county maps, Thomas County history.

City of Thomasville

Contact information for records custodian: Felicia Brannen, city clerk, (229) 227-7016, feliciab@thomasville.org

https://thomasville.org/departments/administration/city-clerk/open-records-request. Find agendas and meeting minutes, annual reports, citizen boards, ordinances, organizational chart, strategic plan.

Thomasville Police Department

Records requests for the police department can be routed through the city clerk, or directly with the police department’s municipal court and police records staff. The number to call is (229) 227-3304.

The police department does not use a specific form for record requests.

Thomas County

Sheriff’s Office

Custodian of records is Capt. Steven Jones.

Attorneys requesting information usually provide their own forms. Those needing incident or accident reports may request the documents in person at the sheriff’s office. Those needing more information are directed to use a form based on the state form for requesting information. If a case is still open, videos are not released to the public until the case is concluded.

Thomas County

Board of Education

Superintendent Dr. Dusty Kornegay is the custodian of records, (229) 225-4380. The school board does not have a specific form for requesting information.

Thomasville City

Board of Education

Each department is responsible for record-keeping, (229) 225-2600. Records that are to be kept permanently after the required time to be held at the BOE are sent to Secure Records Solutions.

A specific request form is not required, but requests are required to be in writing.

City of Tifton

City Clerk Jessica Jones

Physical Address: 130 E. 1st St.

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 229, Tifton, Ga. 31793

Phone: (229) 391-3970

Fax: (229) 391-4722

Email: cityclerk@tifton.net

http://www.tifton.net/departments/city_clerk-new.php

Tift County

County Clerk Miriam Jordan

Physical Address: 225 Tift Ave.

Charles Kent Administration Building Room 204

Mailing Address: Tift County Board of Commissioners County Clerk, P.O. Box 826, Tifton, Ga. 31793

Phone: (229) 386-7850

Fax: (229) 386-7955

Email: http://www.tiftcounty.org/government/county_clerk/index.php

 Tift County Board

of Education

Stacey Beckham

Email: stacey.beckham@tiftschools.com

Fax: (229) 386-1020

Tifton Police

Department

Teia Trepanier, ttrepanier@tifton.net, (229) 556-7401

Tift County Sheriff’s Department

Public Information Officer David Haire or Lt. Col. Bobby Brannen

Requests for open records may be submitted verbally or in writing.

Physical Address: 500 Morgan Drive

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 46, Tifton, Ga. 31793

Phone:(229) 388-6020

Email: dhaire@tiftcounty.org or bbrannen@tiftcounty.org.

Tift County

Hospital Authority

Hospital Authority’s Open Records Officer Kathy Alberson at kathy.alberson@tiftregional.com.

City of Dalton

Bernadette Chattam, city clerk, bchattam@cityofdalton-ga.gov, (706) 529-2490

http://www.cityofdalton-ga.gov/vertical/sites/%7BF9696428-603E-47FF-A264-7C8BED683943%7D/uploads/Open_Records_Request_Form(1).pdf

Dalton Public Schools

Craig Harper, chief administrative officer, (706) 876-4071

Whitfield County Schools

Eric Beavers, communications specialist, eric.beavers@wcsga.net, (706) 217-6724, www.wcsga.net/records

Whitfield County

Board of Commissioners

Blanca Cardona, CCC, county clerk, Whitfield County Board of Commissioners, (706) 275-7507, bcardona@whitfieldcountyga.com, www.whitfieldcountyga.com/WCORRF.pdf

The full Open Records Act can be viewed at law.georgia.gov/law.

Kimberly Cannon is a Reporter with The Valdosta Daily Times. Her extension is 1376.