Open Records Department
Borough of Somerset
Right-to-Know Law Policy
Mission Statement
"The Mission of the Borough of Somerset’s Office of Open Records is to enforce the Commonwealth’s Right-to-Know Law and to serve as a resource for citizens, public officials and members of the media in obtaining public records of their government."
How do I Submit a Right-to-Know Request to the Borough of Somerset?
This written policy outlines the proper procedures for requesting records from the Borough of Somerset under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law
- All RTKL requests for records must be in writing and must be on the approved form provided in the link within this policy.
- Each request must identify or describe the records sought with sufficient specificity to enable the Borough of Somerset to ascertain which records are being requested.
- The Borough of Somerset will not process verbal requests.
- The Borough of Somerset will not process anonymous requests.
- Requests not on the approved form will not be processed.
- Each request must also provide a name and address to which the Borough of Somerset’s response will be directed.
What Form Do I Use?
You must use the following form to submit your RTKL request:
Request and Contact Information
There are four ways to request a Public Record from the Borough of Somerset:
- USPS (United States Postal Service) mail
- Email: openrecords@somersetborough.com
- Fax: 1-814-445-3881
- in person during regular business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays and official office closings).
All such requests must be addressed to the Borough’s Open Records Officer, as follows:
By Mail or in Person to:
Borough of Somerset
ATTN: Agency Open Records Officer
Mr. Benedict G. Vinzani, Jr., Ph.D.
347 West Union Street
PO Box 71
Somerset, PA 15501
Online:
https://www.somersetborough.com/openrecords/
Right-to-Know Request (Fillable, Submittable Form)
By fax to:
1-814-445-3881
By e-mail to openrecords@somersetborough.com
RESPONSE
The Borough of Somerset will respond to your request in the manner required by the Act.
FEES
If a written request for records is granted, the following fees will be charged to the requestor:
- $0.25 per page for duplication.
- $2.00 per record certification.
- Actual costs for postage, facsimile or other media, and for duplication of specialized records.
- $15 per report for providing a copy of a vehicle accident report.
RTKL fees for duplication are established by the Office of Open Records, as posted on its web site at https://www.openrecords.pa.gov. As expressly provided by 65 P.S. §67.1307(g), the Agency is authorized to charge requesters reasonable fees for necessarily incurred costs. OOR - Official RTKL Fee Schedule (pa.gov)
Requesters must pay all applicable RTKL fees before access to requested records is provided. Should the Borough of Somerset determine that applicable fees are projected to exceed $100.00, the requester will be required to prepay the fees before the request is processed. All fees must be paid by certified check, bank check, or money order made payable to the “Borough of Somerset.” When paying in person at the Municipal Building, cash is acceptable.
If your request is approved, you will be advised that the requested records are available for delivery / pickup at the office of the agency. If you fail to retrieve the records within 60 days of the date of the response, the Borough of Somerset will dispose of any copies which have not been retrieved and retain any fees paid to date. (In accordance with Section 905 of the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law).
Section 901 of the Pennsylvania Right–to-Know Law permits an agency to process future requests but to withhold access to the requested records for failure to pay for records previously requested until all applicable fees, including fees for earlier requests are paid.
ADDITIONAL FORMS
Questions regarding this policy must be directed to the:
Borough of Somerset
ATTN: Agency Open Records Officer
Mr. Benedict G. Vinzani, Jr., Ph.D.
347 West Union Street
PO Box 71
Somerset, PA 15501
Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) Office at 1-814-443-2661.
APPEALS
If your request is denied, appeals should be submitted to:
Liz Wagenseller, Executive Director
Office of Open Records
333 Market Street, 16th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101-2234
Phone: (717) 346-9903 Fax: (717) 425-5343
Email: openrecords@pa.gov
Website: http://openrecords.pa.gov
When a request is denied as seeking exempt criminal investigative records of a local agency, appeals may be filed within 15 business days of the agency’s response with:
Somerset County District Attorney’s Office
Acting District Attorney
Molly Metzgar
111 East Union Street,
Suite 30
Somerset, PA 15501
Phone: (814) 445-1456
Fax: (814) 445-1458
Website: http://www.co.somerset.pa.us/department.asp?deptnum=113
In compliance with Section 504 of the RTKL, the following documents have also been posted at this Agency:
- A form which may be used to file a request.
- This Agency’s policy relating to the RTKL.