Request #1250
RE: Request for Public Records Garden Grove - Inquiry about costs and Public Records Request for Documents
To whom it may concern:
Back in August of 2013 I sent a public records request asking for copies of all complaints and government tort claims filed against law enforcement officers for civil rights violations, how much it cost the City of Garden Grove to defend those cases and how much it cost to settle those cases. I received a response from the City Attorney indicating that many of the records that I had requested had been placed in storage and were not easily accessible to City Staff. A spreadsheet was also included containing some of the information I was seeking. I have enclosed a copy of my original complaint, along with the response letter dated August 12, 2013 for your reference.
Please consider this a new request if you must. I would still be interested in obtaining copies of those documents requested earlier. I have sent a deposit check for the amount of $15 so that the City can commence retrieving records from storage and making copies. In addition, I am requesting all records dating from the present to 5 years back. Thank you.
Correspondence
This letter shall serve as the City of Garden Grove’s notice of determination as to whether your August 14, 2015, records request seeks non-exempt, non-privileged, disclosable public records in the City’s possession pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250 et seq.).
Your request seeks copies of government tort claims and lawsuits filed against the City related to civil rights violations, as well as records reflecting the costs to defend and settle those cases. The City is in possession of non-exempt, non-privileged, disclosable public records responsive to your request. To the extent the records you are seeking contain personal information, including address, phone number, social security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number, these records will be produced in redacted form in order to protect the claimants’ privacy rights. (Gov’t Code section 6255)
The records responsive to your request total approximately 1500-2000 pages. The cost for copies is $0.10 per page, bringing the total estimated expense to $150-$200, plus the cost of shipping. In addition to the $15.00 deposit check you have already provided, please provide an additional deposit check in the amount of $100 made payable to the City of Garden Grove. The City will commence making copies upon receipt of your check. Once the copies have been made, you will be notified of the total page count and any additional amounts due. The records will be released following receipt of payment, in advance, of all copying and shipping costs.
Attached as a courtesy is a spreadsheet the City maintains with information about the claims it receives. The spreadsheet includes the claimant’s name, date of loss, and a general description of the claimant’s allegations. The column titled “Legal” identifies whether a lawsuit was filed. The “Net Payment Loss” column identifies any amounts paid to the claimant, and the “Net Payment Expense” column identifies expenses incurred to date, including attorneys’ fees. If, upon review of this spreadsheet, you determine you would like to limit your request to copies of the claim and/or complaint in certain cases, please notify us in writing by identifying the name of the claimant.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Denise Kehn
Records Specialist
City of Garden Grove
714-741-5036
Re: Request for Public Records – Notice of Extension
City of Garden Grove
Dear Ms. Olson,
The City of Garden Grove has received your records request dated August 14, 2015, in the City Clerk's Office on August 19, 2015, requesting information regarding complaints and government tort claims filed against law enforcement officers for civil rights violations, how much it cost to the City of Garden Grove to defend those cases and how much it cost to settle those cases. This letter shall serve as notification of the City’s intent to comply with your request for public records, pursuant to the California Public Records Act (the “Act”) (Government Code §6250 et seq.).
The City is in the process of evaluating this request and is compiling records in an effort to make a determination as to whether the request seeks copies of disclosable public records in the possession of the City of Garden Grove. However, notice is hereby given that the time limit to make this initial determination under the code shall be extended by fourteen (14) days to September 17, 2015, pursuant to Government Code §6253, for the following reason:
(a) The extension of time is reasonable and necessary for the proper processing of the request.
As noted above, the City’s written determination as to whether the request seeks copies of disclosable, non-exempt and non-privileged public records in the possession of the agency shall be sent to you on or about September 17, 2015. Pursuant to the Act, thereafter any and all disclosable, non-exempt and non-privileged public records that are deemed responsive to your request will be made promptly available to you.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the processing of this request, please contact me at 714-741-5036.
Sincerely,
Denise Kehn
Records Specialist
City of Garden Grove
Due date extended to: Thursday, September 17, 2015
Attached document(s)
Waiting for response from the requester as to whether she would like the City to continue processing her request based on the cost of document duplication fees.
Due date extended to: Thursday, October 01, 2015