Franklin Township

10411 Rt. 98, Edinboro, PA 16412      814-734-3521 Fax: 814-734-3361

Open Records Policy

Requests

Public records will be available for inspection and copying at the Township Municipal Building during normal business hours, Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with the exception of holidays and vacations.

Requests shall be in writing and directed to the Township Secretary at Franklin Township, 10411 Rt. 98 Edinboro PA 16412. Written requests shall be on a form provided by the township and shall include the date of the request, the name and address of the requester, and a clear description of the records sought.

Fees

Paper copies will be $0.25 per page per side. If mailing is requested, the cost of postage will be charged. If an electronic version stored on a computer readable media, such as a CD disk, is requested, it will be provided by the Township at the cost of $2.00 or per CD-R disk. A new disk will be necessary each time records are provided. Fax copies will be available at the cost of $0.50 per page. If "True and Correct Certification" is requested, an additional charge of $1.00 for each document will be added. Any other necessarily incurred reasonable fees will be charged in complying with the request. The Township will require prepayment if the total fees are estimated to exceed $100. Requestors are responsible for securing permission for use and duplication of copyrighted materials.

Response

The Township will make a good faith effort to provide the requested public records as promptly as feasible. Township employees shall cooperate with those requesting to review and/or duplicate original Township documents while taking reasonable measures to protect Township documents from the possibility of theft and/or modification.

The Township Secretary shall review all written requests for access to public records. As soon as possible, but no later than five business days after receiving a written request to access public records, the Township Secretary shall respond to all such requests in a manner consistent with the Open Records Law.

Appeals Process

If a written request for access to a record is denied or deemed denied, the requester may file an appeal with the Office of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street Plaza Level, Harrisburg, PA  17120-0225 within 15 business days of the mailing date of the agency’s response or within 15 business days of a deemed denial. The appeal shall state the grounds upon which the requester asserts that the record is a public record, legislative record or financial record and shall address any grounds stated by the agency for delaying or denying the request.