When the Carter County Commission meets on Monday the members of the county’s governing body will consider a number of matters, including a proposal to adopt a fee schedule to make copies of public records and a report from the EMS Task Force.
Under state law, government agencies must maintain all public records that are not made confidential by law open for inspection by any citizen of this state. The law also provides that record custodians can charge a reasonable fee for the production of copies or duplication of records.
On Monday evening, the Commission will consider a resolution adopting a fee schedule to set reasonable fees for the county offices regarding the copying of public records. The resolution provides that any office holder whose duty is to maintain records shall have the ability to waive in whole or in part any charge for copying or duplication of records under their authority.
The proposed fee schedule put before the Commission is based on a schedule of reasonable charges distributed by the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel, which oversees public records laws in the state and investigates claims of open records or open meetings violations.
The proposed fee schedule would set the price of a standard black and white copy on regular sized or legal paper at 15 cents per page while standard color copies would be assessed a 50 cents per page fee.
Record custodians are also permitted under the proposed resolution to charge a “labor fee” based on the amount of time his or her employees spent gathering the records and making copies or duplicates of them.
Commissioners will also hear a report from the EMS Task Force, which was formed just over a year ago to review funding and operations issues with the Carter County Emergency Rescue Squad. Task Force Chairman Dr. Robert Acuff, who represent’s the county’s 1st District on the Commission, turned in the Task Force’s final report this week and it was included in the meeting packets for commissioners to review before Monday’s meeting.
Members of the Commission will also hear a presentation by UT Agriculture Extension Agent Emily Barton regarding the 4-H education program in Carter County.
Margaret Moses, chairwoman of the county’s Audit Committee will speak to the Commission and present the committee’s annual report.
The Carter County Commission will meet on Monday, August 15, at 6 p.m. in the Truman Clark Annex at the Carter County Health Department. The meeting has been relocated from the courtroom at the courthouse due to continued issues with the air conditioning system in the courtroom.