Municipality of Taber

The following fees apply to most access to information requests under the Access to Information Act (ATIA):

• Initial Request Fee: $25.00 per request.
  • Exemption: There is no fee when requesting access to your own personal information.
  • Payment is required with the submission of the request and can be made by cash, cheque, or debit card.
• Copies: Black and white copies on standard letter-sized paper are $0.25 per page.
• Mailing/Postage: Costs include actual postage and the shipping container.
• Other Media: Any requested records in alternative formats will be charged at actual material costs.
• Large Requests:
  • Requests where the estimated cost of time and materials exceeds $150.00 will receive an estimate invoice.
  • Applicants must provide a 50% deposit of the estimated final cost before processing begins.
  • Large requests may also require additional time to complete.
• Additional Fees: Other fees may apply as adopted by the Office of the Municipal Clerk.

Within 5 business days of receiving your request
(Please note: the five-day period begins on the first business day after the request is received), the Public Information Officer will do one or more of the following:

• Acknowledge receipt of your request and provide a reasonable estimate of when the records may be available;
• Request clarification if the application is unclear or incomplete.

Within 30 calendar days of receiving your request, the Public Body will take one or more of the following actions:

• Provide a fee estimate where the expected processing cost exceeds $150.00, and request a 50% deposit before continuing.
• Deny the request and provide written reasons for the refusal;
• Provide copies of the requested records, in full or with information severed (removed), along with an explanation for any severing;
• Arrange an appointment for the applicant to review the records, where applicable.

Release of Records
Records will be disclosed unless specific exemptions or prohibitions apply under the Access to Information Act or other applicable legislation. Where information is withheld, the Public Body will provide the legislative reason(s) for the refusal or severing.

Under Alberta’s Access to Information Act, a record may be fully or partially withheld for the following common reasons:

Protection of personal information
Records containing personal information about identifiable individuals may be exempt from disclosure to protect privacy, unless disclosure is authorized under the Act.

Third-party information
If requested records contain information that may affect the rights, business interests, or personal information of a third party, the request may be subject to third-party notification. In such cases, the Public Body may notify the affected party before releasing any information. The applicant’s personal information is kept confidential and is not disclosed to third parties.

Commercial use of records
The municipality does not disclose lists of individuals for commercial or solicitation purposes (such as for real estate marketing or contractor advertising) where such disclosure is restricted under the Act.

Withdrawn or abandoned requests
A request may be considered abandoned and closed if the applicant withdraws the request or fails to meet obligations under the Act, including:

• inspecting records within the required timeframe,
• paying any required deposit, or
• making final payment for copies within 30 days of notification.

In such cases, the applicant will be notified that the request has been closed.