Open records questions answered

Web posted December 18, 1999

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From Staff Reports

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1. Get the agenda of the next meeting of your city council, county commission or school board?

Sixty-five Georgia cities and 26 counties have Web sites. A handful of them include the agendas of the next meetings. Go to www.state.ga.US/index/gagov.html.

Or go to City Hall, the courthouse or school district headquarters and request it. By law, the copying cost is 25 cents a page.

2. Get minutes of past meetings?

Few Web sites have the minutes of the most recent meetings. Go to City Hall, the courthouse or school district headquarters and request them. By law, the copying cost is 25 cents a page.

3. Read your city's land-use plan?

Go to City Hall or the courthouse and request it.

4. Obtain a university or college's daily public crime log?

Go to the campus police or security department and request it.

5. Identify your state legislators?

Go to state.ga.US.

6. Read Georgia open government laws?

Go to ganet.org/services/ocode.

or send an optional donation to Georgia First Amendment Foundation, 150 E. Ponce De Leon Ave., Suite 270, Decatur, GA 30030, and request the booklet Georgia's Sunshine Laws: A Citizen's Guide to Open Government, by the office of Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, in cooperation with the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. Be sure to ask for the second edition.

7. Track legislation during the Georgia General Assembly?

Go to state.ga.us/services/leg.

8. Read Georgia attorney general opinions?

Go to ganet.org/ago/gaagopinions.html.

9. Evaluate a public school?

Go to accountability.doe.k12.ga.us/4d/default.html.