Californians have a right under the state Public Records Act (Government Code §6250 et seq.) and the California Constitution (Article I) to access public information maintained by government agencies.

The following are guidelines for accessing public records at McKinleyville Community Services District.

Guidelines for Public Records Access

Direct Your Request to the Board Secretary at the District Office.

• Call (707) 839-3251  
• Fax (707) 839-8456
• Visit the office at 1656 Sutter Road, McKinleyville, CA
• Send an email to asousa@mcsd.com

Written Requests Encouraged

The District encourages, but does not require, requests for records to be made in writing. Written requests help the District respond to the request and to correctly identify the records requested. Denials of written requests will be provided in writing. When requests are made orally, the District may confirm the request in writing to ensure it has correctly understood the request.

Records Defined

 A record is defined as any document consisting of a “writing” as defined in California Government Code 6252(g).

Identifying Records 

In order to help the District provide records promptly, requesters should provide specific information about the records they seek. When a record cannot be identified by name, the requester should attempt to be as specific as possible in describing the record, based on its content. When a request is not sufficiently specific, District staff will help the requester to identify the information.

Inspection of Public Records

Public records maintained by the District are available for inspection during the District’s regular business hours. In order to prevent records from being lost, damaged or destroyed during an inspection, District employees may determine the location of, and may monitor, the inspection.

Copying Fees

The District may charge the direct cost of duplication when it provides copies of records to the public.  When the District must compile electronic data, extract information from an electronic record, make a new record, or undertake computer programming to satisfy a request, the District may require the requester to bear the full costs, not just the direct cost of duplication.

Exemptions

The District will provide access to all public records upon request unless the law provides an exemption from mandatory disclosure. Examples of records exempt from mandatory disclosure under the California Public Records Act include: certain personnel records, investigative records, drafts, confidential legal advice, records prepared in connection with litigation, and information that may be kept confidential pursuant to other state or federal statutes. In most circumstances, when the District removes or redacts exempt information from the record, it will disclose the remainder of the record.