The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News have agreed to drop their claims against the city of Atlanta for what the media organizations described as “systemic violations” of the Georgia Open Records Act, according to an agreement reached this week.
Under the agreement, the city will work with the news outlets over the next 90 days in drafting a comprehensive policy that will govern how the city responds to public records requests.
“The City has taken yet another step in creating a more open government by cementing a resolution with The Atlanta Journal Constitution and WSB-TV and we look forward to implementing the recommendations,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in a statement Wednesday.
The standards contained in the new policy will go a few steps further than what is currently in the Georgia Open Records Act, according to the agreement.
At a minimum, the city will have to produce records that are easy to retrieve and don’t require redaction within three days, according to the agreement. State law requires that government entities respond to records requests within three days and to either provide the records or a time when they will be available. (Read more…)