Council adopts amended public‑records fee schedule to better recoup staff costs
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Summary
After a staff presentation and questions about methodology and safeguards for low‑income or defense counsel requests, the Des Moines City Council adopted an amended public‑records fee schedule that charges a per‑minute rate for staff time and a separate rate for body‑worn camera redaction.
The Des Moines City Council voted on Jan. 9 to adopt updates to the city’s public‑records fee schedule intended to better recover the actual costs of processing requests.
What staff proposed City clerk and records staff presented a proposed fee schedule that moves certain activities away from statutory flat fees and toward an actual‑cost approach where practical. The draft uses a calculated “per‑minute” permanent rate derived from the average staff wages and benefits divided by annual work minutes; staff reported a calculated rate of $0.12 per minute for general records processing and $0.96 per minute for body‑worn camera redaction. The proposal keeps statutory flat fees in place for items the city considers “unduly burdensome” to estimate (for example, per‑page photocopies and some email attachment fees) and keeps vendor rates for specialty items such as plotter paper.
Why it matters Staff told the council they tracked roughly 1,403 staff hours responding to public‑records requests last year and recouped about $26,100 under the old schedule, which staff said was well short of actual costs. Council members asked practical questions about estimates and protections for low‑income residents and criminal defense discovery. City staff said discovery for criminal defendants is provided without charge as required by statute and that in‑house review of records remains available free of charge (viewing at City Hall). Staff said they will provide estimates for expensive requests and will document the start/end time of work charged under the per‑minute method.
Motion and vote Councilmember Mahoney moved to enact the draft resolution amending the public records fee schedule; Councilmember Nutting seconded. After discussion, the council voted in favor; staff confirmed the city would continue to provide in‑person viewing at no cost and would issue estimates for high‑cost requests.
Next steps Staff will implement the updated schedule, track costs under the new approach and provide the council with follow‑up information as needed.