Municipality of Taber

The following fees apply to a majority of access requests:

• There is an initial $25.00 charge for all public record requests. The only exception is a request for your own personal information. The $25.00 fee must be submitted along with the request for information. Payment can be made by cash, cheque or debit card.
• Black and white copies on standard letter paper are 25 cents per page.
• Mailing includes actual cost of postage and shipping container.
• Other media will incur actual cost of materials.
• Large requests may require advance payment. Should the cost of time and materials estimated to complete a specific request accrue to $150.00 or more, an estimate invoice will be provided to the applicant. The applicant must provide a deposit of 50 per cent of the estimated final cost of the file search in order for the request to proceed. These may also require a time extension to complete the request.
• Other fees as adopted by the office of the Municipal Clerk may be applicable.

Within five (5) business days of the receipt of the request, the Public Information Officer will do one or more of the following: (Note: The five days begin one working day after receipt of the request.)

• Acknowledge receipt of request and provide a reasonable estimate of when records will be available.
• Seek clarification of unclear requests.

Within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the request, the Public Information Officer will do one or more of the following:

• Provide an estimate invoice if the time and material charges required to complete the request are greater than $150.00 so the 50 per cent deposit can be paid.
• Deny the request with explanation of denial.
• Provide a copy of the records as requested in total or with information severed (removed), and the reason for the removal, if appropriate.
• Make an appointment for the applicant to review the record as requested.

All records will be released if they do not fall within the specific exemptions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or other statutes which exempt or prohibit disclosure of specific information or records.

The Public Information Officer will describe why each withheld record or redacted portion of a record is exempt from disclosure.

Following are a few common reasons why a record may be exempt from disclosure or denied:

• Common exemption: The municipality does not disclose lists of individuals for commercial purposes such as real estate circulars, renovation contractors, etc.
• Third-party notification: Requested records that contain information that may affect the rights of others may be exempt from disclosure. The Public Information Officer may give notice to others whose rights may be affected by the disclosure, prior to providing the records. The applicant’s personal information is kept confidential and not revealed to the third party.
• Withdrawn or abandoned requests: When the requestor either withdraws the request or fails to fulfil their obligations to inspect the records, pay the deposit, or make final payment within 30 days for the requested copies, the Public Information Officer will close the request and notify the requestor the request has been closed.