Graphic courtesy of Botetourt Co.
Botetourt County has launched a new online Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Document Center that allows residents to search for and view public records that have already been processed and released by the county.
The new Document Center is part of JustFOIA, a records-management system launched by the county and the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office in August to provide a more structured way to submit, track and respond to FOIA requests.
County officials said the system was developed as the volume and complexity of FOIA requests increased, making the county’s previous reliance primarily on email more difficult for staff to manage.
In addition to helping staff track requests, manage responsive documents and process invoices when applicable, JustFOIA allows the county to proactively publish records through the Document Center.
That means residents may be able to find records online without having to submit a new FOIA request.
“The goal of the FOIA Document Center is to provide as much public access to records as the law allows,” county officials said.
The Document Center is continuing to grow as records are processed and published. County officials said more than a dozen FOIA requests to date have involved the data center and Project Raspberry, as well as Orchard Lake, with responsive records related to those topics being added to the center.
The county said records processed for release and considered appropriate for proactive publication may be added to the Document Center.
For example, plans, permits and other records associated with major projects such as the proposed data center can be added when they are appropriate for public release.
The center will be updated on an ongoing basis. In some cases, records may be added shortly after a FOIA request has been processed. The county also may proactively publish newly received documents that are likely to be of significant public interest.
However, the county said the Document Center is not intended to serve as a repository for every document maintained by the county.
The county also does not currently plan to retroactively upload all records from previously fulfilled FOIA requests.
County officials said the county has fulfilled many FOIA requests over the years, but reviewing and uploading all of those records would require significant staff time and resources. The primary focus instead is on publishing records from requests going forward and building the Document Center into a resource residents can use to find information without submitting a new request.
Not every record will be available through the center.
Some records, or portions of records, cannot be publicly released because of privacy protections, statutory exemptions or other legal requirements. In some cases, records can be released after personal or otherwise protected information is redacted.
Each request and record is evaluated under applicable FOIA requirements and other laws governing the information, county officials said.
The Sheriff’s Office also uses JustFOIA but maintains its own policies and procedures regarding the release and publication of records.
Residents can search the FOIA Document Center and submit new FOIA requests through the county’s website at botetourtva.gov/FOIAdocs.
Virginia’s FOIA law generally requires public bodies to respond to requests within five working days, although a response may include the requested records, a denial, a request for clarification or notification that additional time is needed. The county also notes that reasonable fees may apply to requests that require more than 30 minutes of staff time.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
