The Kissimmee Utility Authority supports and complies with the State of Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” laws, designed to provide transparency and openness in government operations. The Florida law regarding public records may be found in its entirety in Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
Public records requests are requests to view or obtain copies of documents and records that currently exist, not for the creation of new documents. Please note that some public records contain exempt information that requires redaction prior to release.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. History.—s. 1, ch. 2006-232.
FAQs About Public Records
Is there a cost for public records?
Florida law authorizes municipalities to recoup their costs of providing public records. If the public record request requires more than fifteen (15) minutes of employee time (including the time to gather, copy, scan and/or print the requested documents, or redact information exempted by Florida Statutes, if necessary), the requester will be charged for that time at the lowest hourly rate of the class of employee(s) involved. For physical copies of requested documents, there will be a charge of $.15 per page for one-sided copies ($.20 per page for two-sided copies). An estimated cost will be provided if the Authority anticipates that there will be a significant cost to provide the requested public records. The requester must acknowledge the estimated costs and provide a 50% payment in advance of the record gathering. Once the request is complete, the requestor must pay the remaining balance with any adjustments for additional or fewer hours before the documents will be provided.
What are some ways that I can streamline the public records request process?
There are some things that you can consider when you make a public records request that can decrease the response time and reduce potential production costs.
• A significant amount of information is available on the Authority’s website.
• Be specific; avoid overly broad requests. Use of words like, “All or Any” can dramatically expand the scope of a request.
• Provide dates ranges of requested public records, especially on emails and correspondence.
How long does it take to receive the requested public records?
The Authority responds to public records requests as quickly as possible. However, requests for a large number of documents, or requests that require significant staff time may result in a longer response time. The volume of a given public records request may also slow the response time.
What if I have a question about the public records request process?
KUA’s public records custodian is responsible for coordinating public records requests. The public records custodian can be contacted at 407-933-9883 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or via email: [email protected].
