Proposed plan will open records

Bloomington residents deserve better access to public records, and a new proposal coming before the city council tonight offers just that.\nMichael Chui, Bloomington's chief information officer, said up until now, the city has held a large amount of information in electronic form, but there has been no formal policy that allows city officials to give the public access to it. This ordinance, if passed, will open up many of the city's databases to public access, Chui said.\nThe city council should approve this ordinance because it will enhance public access to useful information.\nThis ordinance is in part a reaction to many requests for maps held in the city's Geographic Information System (GIS), Chui said. If the ordinance goes into effect, citizens requesting these maps will find them easier to access because there will be a formal policy in place about how they can be released.\nBut this ordinance also might be used in the future in different ways as more and more information is stored electronically. Databases containing public records might eventually be available to citizens with a simple click on the city's Web site. \nAnother part of the ordinance will standardize fees that can be charged for providing maps and access to databases. Citizens requesting these maps have been charged a variety of fees because there is no policy dictating the appropriate costs. Under the ordinance, a fee schedule will be set to ensure uniform charges for records. Chui said these charges will be used to recover money spent by the city on the time, materials and labor to produce the maps.\nAlthough right now this ordinance focuses on access to maps and the costs of this access, it is a good start toward opening up electronic records to the public. In this age of electronic information, the city should be proactive in helping citizens use information. Rather than blocking access, the city council should encourage open records.\nThis ordinance could set a precedent that could eventually allow citizens to search through public records on databases. As technology advances, government must adapt to changes, and this is a positive way to deal with innovations. \nAn open government is an honest government, and this ordinance can take Bloomington several steps closer to giving its citizens open access to its records actions.\nStaff vote: 9 - 0 - 3\nyes - no - abstain