Drafter
Clerk 07/16/2020
Title
A MOTION requesting the executive to review and report on county policies and materials related to the Public Records Act and update as necessary to account for permanent and temporary telecommuting in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Body
WHEREAS, the Washington state Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCW, was enacted by initiative in 1972 to provide the people with broad rights of access to public records and open government, and
WHEREAS, the Public Records Act has been amended several times by the Washington state Legislature and Governor since its enactment, and
WHEREAS, King County committed to managing its public records as a countywide resource and in a manner that is efficient and economical, promotes open government and an informed citizenry, protects individual privacy and meets county record retention and disposition standards in K.C.C. 2.14.020, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. 2.12.250 establishes that county agencies shall provide full access to public records that are not exempt from disclosure under applicable law, protect records from damage or disorganization, prevent excessive interference with other essential functions of the agency, provide fullest assistance to requestors and provide the most-timely possible action on public records request, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. 2.12.060 requires retention of public records to be in accordance with approved records retention schedules established pursuant to RCW 40.14.070, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. 2.12.040 tasks the department of executive services with the responsibility for maintaining records retention and public disclosure manuals that, among other information, include each agency's record retention schedules, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. 2.14.020 establishes a public records committee to advise the council and the executive on county public records policies, including both paper and electronic records, and
WHEREAS, the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") first appeared in Wuhan, China, in Dec...

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