Public Records Request Log - Kansas Department for Children and Families

May 11, 2015

Erik Peterson

requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Mr. Peterson:

I am writing to advise you that the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has received your written request on May 7, 2015. We understand that you are requesting a log of the requests for information filed under the Kansas Open Records Act for as far back such records have been kept by the agency.

In accordance with K.S.A. 45-218 (d), we have begun the process of determining if we possess any public records meeting the terms of your request. Within a week, we will provide you with one or more of the following:

1. Copies of the requested public records.

2. A statement concerning our inability to locate any public records meeting the terms of your request.

3. A request for clarification concerning the types of records or information you are seeking.

4. Record requests that can be provided with less than one hour of staff time or less than 25 pages will be provided at no charge. If we determine that our office possesses the public records you request, but are voluminous, difficult to locate, and/or contain information that may include open and closed information, we will provide you with a written estimate of the fees that we will require be pre-paid in order to pay for the actual costs associated with (a) locating and/or retrieving the public records from storage, (b) staff time spent in assisting with making copies of the records, including staff time spent examining the records for possible closure and/or redaction, and (c) copying and mailing the requested public records.

* For requests that exceed one hour of staff time or more than 25 pages, the following rates shall apply:

* Copies, 25 cents per page; mailing, 50 cents for the first five pages, 25 cents for additional five-page increments; fax, 65 cents per 10 pages

* Staff time will be charged at the rate of pay for each person whose time is used in order to assist and/or respond to a specific request. This may include the time spent to access records maintained on computer facilities, review records to determine whether closure exceptions apply and /or to redact open from closed information. For the purpose of transparency, our rates are as follows: general staff time will be charged at $20 per hour, information technology (IT) services will be charged at $38 per hour.

* Additional fees may be assessed if any other costs are incurred by DCF in connection with complying with a record request. DCF will provide an estimate of the fees which shall be paid prior to the department gathering the records. In order to ensure payment, the final cost of providing access to or furnishing copies must be paid before the records are provided. If the final cost is less than the estimate, the requestor will be reimbursed for the difference.

5. If we determine that we do possess the records, but that the records are closed by law, we will provide you with that information with a written citation to the laws allowing or requiring that type of public record to be closed.

We will respond as soon as possible to your Kansas Open Records Act Request. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

[cid:image001.png@01D08C0B.08D5C2A0]

Theresa Freed

Director of Communications

Kansas Department for Children and Families

785-296-0537

Theresa.freed@dcf.ks.gov

Todd Fertig
Public Information Officer
Kansas Department for Children and Families
785-368-6613

[http://www.dcf.ks.gov/PublishingImages/logo-and-motto-for-outlook.png]
________________________________

This message and accompanying documents are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, and contain information intended for the specified individual(s) only. This information is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, copying or the taking of any action based on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail and delete the original message

Is this email where I should send information to Mr. Erik Peterson of Stanford University?

Todd Fertig
Public Information Officer
Kansas Department for Children and Families
785-368-6613

May 21, 2015

Erik Peterson

requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Mr. Peterson:

Please find two attachments to this email - a list of open requests for information under the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA), and a list of closed requests under the same act.

We have been using the filing system that produced these lists only since January. Prior to that date, we did not have an official cataloguing system. Therefore, our records of KORA date back only to January.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

[cid:image001.png@01D093BC.1AE62710]

Theresa Freed

Director of Communications

Kansas Department for Children and Families

785-296-0537

Theresa.freed@dcf.ks.gov

Todd Fertig
Public Information Officer
Kansas Department for Children and Families
785-368-6613

[http://www.dcf.ks.gov/PublishingImages/logo-and-motto-for-outlook.png]
________________________________

This message and accompanying documents are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, and contain information intended for the specified individual(s) only. This information is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, copying or the taking of any action based on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail and delete the original message