Freedom of Information Act Requests

Last modified on July 21st, 2016 at 11:22 am

The City of Elkins is committed to the principle that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent them as public officials and employees, unless otherwise expressly provided by law.

The law governing public access to government records is the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which may be reviewed in its entirety here. As you can read in more detail at that link, certain records are exempt from disclosure, for reasons including the protection of individual privacy, attorney-client privilege, and security.

At the City of Elkins, we place an emphasis on open government. Many records, including the city code and all records of council proceedings (meeting minutes, resolutions, and ordinances) are available for examination by the public by appointment, with no need for the submission of a FOIA request. (If you need large volumes of copies or printing of such records, charges may apply, and copies may not be available the same day they are requested). Please feel free to contact the city clerk in order to discuss whether or not a FOIA request is needed to access the records you are interested in.

If you do submit a FOIA request, Elkins Common Council has adopted a policy requiring that requesters pay the cost of materials used in responding to a FOIA request. These costs include 25 cents per page for photocopies or printing; the actual cost of any non-paper media used to transmit the records, such as a disk, flash drive; and mailing costs. There is no fee for requests consisting of fewer than five pages of copying or printing. There is also no fee for reviewing records in person.

To make a FOIA request for records held by the City of Elkins, please download and complete the following form:

FOIA Request Form

If you do submit a FOIA request, Elkins Common Council has adopted a policy requiring that requesters pay the cost of materials used in responding to a FOIA request. These costs include 10 cents per page for photocopies or printing; the actual cost of any non-paper media used to transmit the records, such as a disk, flash drive; and mailing costs. There is no fee for requests consisting of fewer than five pages of copying or printing. There is also no fee for reviewing records in person.You will always be informed of any estimated cost for your request before the request is completed. Click here to download a copy of our FOIA Request Protocol, which includes our fee schedule.

When you have completed the form, you may submit in person, via email, or via U.S. mail to:
Elkins City Clerk
Jessica R. Sutton
jsutton@cityofelkinswv.com
Phone: (304) 636-1414, ext. 1211
401 Davis Avenue, Elkins, WV, 26241