Hamilton sets new policy on public records requests

HAMILTON — A new “Public Records Request Policy” has been set into place for the City of Hamilton after a resolution in favor of the policy was passed at the city council’s Monday, April 7, meeting.
Resolution 2025-4-7 establishes a policy requiring a request form to be filled out by the requestor of public records stating exactly what public information is being requested, and for what purpose the information is needed.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Page explained the custodian of the records  requests will be city clerk Angela Owen. After consultation with the city’s legal council, attorney Jeremy Streetman, requests for information will then be approved or denied.
The mayor noted, “The City of Hamilton supports open and transparent government. However, the city must provide security of public records.  The requestor will be solely responsible for the use of the information requested, agreeing not to share the information for public circulation.  
“We’d like to adopt this policy tonight to cover these requests for public information and research. It takes a lot of time to search old minute books or go back and provide information like this.
“And we’d like to know why the request is being made. Sometimes, it’s obvious. And at other times, it’s not. So, we’d like an explanation.”
Owen explained the city’s policy was put together based on several other municipalities’ policies.
“This policy will cover most of the bases,” the mayor said.
The resolution also set fees for the public records request policy, which included:
• $1 per page for electronic transmitted and/or black and white copies;
• $2 per page for color copies;
• $30 per hour or $7.50 per quarter hour for requests which require extensive research; and
• An additional fee of 50 cents for faxing or mailing the information requested.
In other business, the council also:
• Voted to approve the purchase of a Grasshopper 400 D-1.3L diesel mower to be used by the Hamilton Parks & Recreation Department for $18,161. The mower will be purchased from Spann Hardware & Equipment Inc, who had the lowest state bid price, which was handled through Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Inc.
• Voted to approve the purchase of a new Volvo DD35B Asphalt Roller for the lowest bid price of $68,639 from Cowin Equipment Company.  The mayor noted this equipment is a budgeted item and will be used by the Hamilton Street Department.
The council discussed how the roller will help save money in the future, as it’s less expensive for the city to do some street paving itself, when possible.
• Voted to approve paying the Municipal Workers’ Compensation Audit billing of $18,484. The mayor noted that after the audit, the city was having to pay some additional funds.
City Clerk Angela Owen mentioned the city would try to estimate projected salaries in the coming year for the worker’s compensation insurance, in an effort to lower the amount of funds required to be paid out after the annual audit.
The mayor also noted the city was in the Silver Group, with a 5-20 percent loss per capita. “To get Gold, you have to be under 5 percent losses,” he explained. “There’s also a rank higher than Gold, with no losses at all.”
• Voted to officially name the Hamilton Track Project the “Buttahatchee River Sportsplex.”
“That’s the name you’ll see posted going forward,” Page noted. “That will now be our official name, and we’ll no longer be using the old Munsingwear property to identify the site.”
• Approved the purchase, replacement and installation of a new heating and air conditioning system for the Hamilton Police Department. The new unit will be purchased from Nix Heating & Cooling for the lowest bid price of $5,800.
HPD Chief Jordan Carter said he’d initially believed two units would have to be replaced, but later discovered one of the units is repairable at this time. He noted the new unit will cool the municipal courtroom/auditorium at the police department.
• Amended the original agenda to add two items, which included:
• Passing a resolution declaring April 2025 as “Fair Housing Month” in the City of Hamilton.
Page noted, “This is something we strongly believe in, and we’d like to have this resolution on our books.”
• Voted to approve the hiring of Kaleb Cooper as a police recruit for the HPD. The mayor noted Cooper will soon attend the police academy and achieve APOSTC Certification.
Carter noted, “He is pre-qualified for the police academy and has already been accepted. He’s 29-years-old, and married with children. He’s rooted here in Hamilton. He lives in Hamilton and attends church here, as well. I think he’ll make a great addition to our department.”