Right-to-Know Request

Right-To-Know Policy

Section 1. Open Record Officer.
The Lower Swatara Township hereby designates Thomas Bell, Jr., Chief of Police, as the Lower Swatara Township Police Department Open Records Officer.
The Open Records Officer may be reached at 1499 Spring Garden Drive, Middletown, Pennsylvania, 17057; phone 717-939-0463; fax 717-939-7360; email address, tbell@lowerswatara.org will be the point of contact.

Section 2. General.
All documents deemed public records shall be available for inspection, retrieval, and duplication at the Municipal Building during established business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) with the exception of weekends and holidays.

Section 3. Requests.
Requests shall be made in writing to the township Open Records Officer either electronically with the embedded form below or in writing on the form provided by the department. (See attached form)

Section 4. Fees.
Paper copies shall be 25¢ per page, per side. The certification of a record shall be $5.00 per record. Specialized documents including, but not limited to blue prints, color copies, and non-standard sized documents shall be charged the actual cost of production. If mailing is requested, the cost of postage will be charged. The township shall require prepayment if the total fees are estimated to exceed $100.00.

Section 5. Response.
The Township shall make a good-faith effort to provide the requested public record(s) as promptly as possible. The Open Records Officer shall cooperate with those requesting records to review and/or duplicate original township documents while taking reasonable measure to protect township documents from the possibility of theft, damage, and/or modification.
The Open Records Officer shall review all written requests for access to public records. As soon as possible, but no later than five business days after receiving a written request to access public records, the Open Records Officer shall respond to such requests in writing consistent with Act 3 of 2008, the Right-to-Know Law.
If access to a record is denied, the response shall include a reason for denial as stipulated in Act 3 of 2008, the Right-to-Know Law.

Section 6. Contact Information for Appeals.

To challenge the denial or deemed denial of a request for OOR records, an appeal may be filed by
completing the official OOR Appeal Form available on the OOR website:
https://www.openrecords.pa.gov/Appeals/HowToFile.cfm. An appeal may also be filed via postal mail,
email, or fax using the following contact information:
Liz Wagenseller
Executive Director Office of Open Records
333 Market Street, 16th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101-2234 Email: openrecords@pa.gov
Fax: 717-425-5343

An appeal must include a copy of the request and the OOR’s response. More information is available on the OOR website: https://www.openrecords.pa.gov/Appeals/HowToFile.cfm

Section 7. Additional Information.
Additional information regarding the RTKL and the request and appeal process, including the OOR Citizen’s Guide, Agency Guides, the OOR Public Access Policy, and related forms, are available on the OOR website at https://www.openrecords.pa.gov. If you require further assistance, call 717-346-9903.

Requester

First Name *

Last Name *

E-mail Address *

Phone Number *

Address

Street Address *

Apartment / Suite Number

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Records Requested

Enter a detailed description of your request below.

Description *

Include dates, subjects, names, or any specific identifiers to help process the request.

Do you want copies? *

Do you want to inspect the records? *

Do you want certified copies of records? *

Legal U.S. Resident *

By selecting "Yes", I affirm that my full name and contact information is true and correct, and that I am a legal resident of the United States. I understand that a false affirmation may result in the denial of my request and the dismissal of any appeal filed with the Office of Open Records.

Agree *

I understand that submitting a false report is punishable by law.

Leave this field blank