Roswell adds restrictions on open records requests

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell City Council passed a resolution March 27 requiring people applying for public records to provide “verifiable” names and addresses along with their requests.

Those who wish to remain anonymous will have to go to Roswell City Hall to view requested records in person.

Officials say the move is to address a large volume of requests, some made by “fraudulent” people who do not pay for the records.

All but one councilmember, Sarah Beeson, voted in favor of the resolution. Beeson left the dais and took the podium to speak against the resolution saying the measure adds barriers to accessing public records.

Under the resolution, the city will not send requested records to “unverifiable” names and addresses. The definition of “verified” is not given, but Roswell City Attorney David Davidson said you should be able to “Google” a name and address or provide a form of identification at City Hall.

In an email to Davidson, Georgia Senior Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Colangelo stated that anyone who wishes to remain anonymous can view records and pay for them in person. She also offered a second option.

“If people want the records mailed or emailed anonymously, the agency will mail them after the requester sends a money order or something,” Colangelo wrote.

City Councilwoman Beeson asked if the money order option could be added to the resolution.

“That’s going to be a policy decision for the mayor and council to decide legally,” City Attorney Davidson said.

Councilman Mike Palermo said he was not comfortable “taking on the risk” of money orders at that time. He said he could support the measure in the future if the risk of impersonation was mitigated.

The money order option was not added into the final resolution.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said the decision to verify names has been spurred by people requesting records under other residents’ names. He cited one example, in which Roswell resident and former mayoral candidate Jason Yowell’s name was used to file an open records request.

Beeson argued that Yowell was a “public figure” who had publicly engaged on the issue of anonymous access to public records, and the request was a “quibble” between Yowell and the anonymous resident.

Yowell took to the podium to confirm that his name was used to file an open records request. He said he favored the resolution.

“If we’re going to have information available freely and open to the public, we’re also entitled to know who is seeking to obtain that information,” Yowell said.

Another resident, Eric Schumacher, suggested that open records requests become anonymous after they move from the clerk’s office to the rest of city staff. Schumacher said that in past years, he had issues with people not granting him certain records requests, and a level of anonymity could “protect privacy” among people filing requests.

The mayor said he “likes that idea” as

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