The Washington Public Records Act, Ch. 42.56 RCW, requires local agencies to make available for inspection and copying public records which are not specifically exempted by statute. The City of Richland is committed to fulfilling this obligation in a timely and professional manner. A variety of records are immediately available on the City’s website. Requestors are encouraged to view the public records currently available on the website at no charge prior to submitting a records request. 

Making a Public Records Request
Any person seeking to request public records may submit a request to the City of Richland using the City’s Public Records Request Portal. Alternative methods for requesting records are described in the City’s Public Records Disclosure Policy No. 0260.  

After We Receive Your Request
A request for records under the Washington Public Records Act must seek an identifiable record. General requests for information are not treated as requests for public records, and do not fall under the Public Records Act. The City is not required to create a new record to satisfy a request for information or a public records request.

When the City receives a request for an identifiable record, within five (5) business days of receiving the public records request, the City will do one or more of the following:

1. Make the record(s) available, in whole or in part, for inspection or copying; 

2. Acknowledge the request and provide a reasonable estimate of time required by the City to respond to the request; 

3. Acknowledge the request and ask the requestor to provide clarification for a request that is unclear, and provide, to the greatest extent possible, a reasonable estimate of time necessary to respond to the request if it is not clarified; or

4. Deny the request, in whole or in part, and provide a written explanation for the denial, including citation to the statutory exemption.

Seeking Clarification
In the event that a records request is unclear, the City will contact the requestor within five (5) business days to attempt to clarify the specific records sought. Once clarified, the City will respond in accordance with the process stated above. If a requestor fails to provide clarification for a request that is wholly unclear, or fails to describe an identifiable public record with adequate specificity such that it can be located, the City may consider the request closed. 

Hours of Inspection
For requestors who choose to inspect requested records, public records are available for inspection and copying during normal business hours of the City (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) excluding municipal holidays. Records must be inspected at Richland City Hall, and arrangements for inspection and/or copying must be made in advance. 

Costs
Please see the City’s Fee Schedule for costs associated with public records production. 

Accommodation
For assistance in making a public records request for General, Fire, or 9-1-1 records, please contact Public Records Officer Toni Fulton. 

For assistance is making a public records request for police records, please contact Police Public Records Supervisor Erin Hogue.