LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Thursday he'll reorganize the city's open records department after finding a "significant backlog" of requests.
All open records requests filed with the city will now run through a specific records department, which will be staffed with six new full-time employees who will have up-to-date training.
Greenberg said he hopes this will improve the process and cut down on the backlog.
"We want to model how a city government can operate successfully and be as open as possible with the public," he said. "That's our goal. That's what this department will help us make possible."
Empowering transparency, one record at a time. Today we're unveiling significant reforms in the Department of Records Compliance. By investing in staff, resources, & training, we're ensuring timely responses to open records requests & upholding our commitment to accountability. pic.twitter.com/VAl52fCcpB
— Mayor Craig Greenberg (@LouisvilleMayor) May 25, 2023
Below are four notable reforms Greenberg's office laid out in a news release Thursday:
- All open records functions within Louisville Metro Government will now be independent from the Office of Management and Budget and under a director who will report directly to Deputy Mayor Dana Mayton.
- The new independent department will serve as a single point of contact and apply a uniform, streamlined process for all open records requests made of the Mayor’s Office and all Metro agencies, including the Louisville Metro Police Department.
- Metro will hire six new full-time staffers to help coordinate and support the open records response process and eliminate the backlog of unfulfilled requests.
- Metro will provide new uniform and up-to-date training government-wide to ensure employees are aware of and correctly adhere to Kentucky’s open records laws, especially with regard to emerging technologies.
On average, more than 12,000 open records requests are filed each year.
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