Public Information Requests
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To submit a new Police Department Open Records request, click here.
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To submit a new Public Records request, click here.
Public Records Policy
The Village of Arena is a local form of government comprised of a Village President, six-member Board of Trustees, and other boards, commissions, and committees. According to Section 19.31 of the Wisconsin State Statutes, it is public policy that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them. Further, providing persons with such information is declared to be an essential function of representative government and an integral part of the routine duties of officers and employees whose responsibility is to provide such information.
In general, anyone requesting access to or a copy of records held by the Village will have that request granted except as provided by law. Requests for information should be directed to the designated legal custodian as identified in the table below.
Legal Custodians of Village Records
|
Types of Records
|
Job Title of Custodian
|
|---|---|
| Personal and Property assessment records | Village Assessor |
| All legal proceedings | Village Attorney |
| Election records, licenses, council action | Village Clerk |
| All engineering records | Village Engineer |
| Building permits and records of violations | Building Inspector |
| Village development and zoning | Building Inspector |
| Public Works projects | Public Works Superintendent |
| All finance records and tax information | Village Treasurer |
| Personnel files, safety policies, training files | Village Clerk |
| All police records including status of police investigations, press releases and Municipal Court records | Police Chief or designee |
| Water & Sewer Utilities | Village Clerk/Treasurer |
| Wastewater Treatment Plant records | Superintendent of Wastewater Treatment |
| General press releases and all other village business | Village Clerk/Treasurer |
Questions regarding the status of information under public records laws will be addressed to the Village Attorney or any of the legal custodians as listed.
The Village of Arena requires payment at the time of delivery.
The Village may require prepayment for any requests expected to exceed $50.00.
Records not readily accessible, which require research to locate, shall be assessed a location fee. Location fees shall not be required until a minimum of $50.00 has accumulated (§19.35(3)(c)); thereafter a charge equal to the hours necessary to locate the records multiplied by the per hour wages plus benefits of the employee locating the records will be assessed.
Per Village Ordinance Section 2.70.040/Fee Schedule, a requester shall be charged the following fee to defray the cost of copying records:
- Photocopies: $0.25 per page
- Computer Disk: Actual cost + postage
- Photographs/Digital Images: Actual cost + postage
- Engineering Maps or Prints: Actual cost + postage
- Video Tapes: Actual cost + postage
- Audio Tapes: Actual cost + postage