Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) Requests

Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) requests must be submitted to the City Clerk's office in writing to 1 Common Street, Waterville, Maine 04901, or via email. The agency having custody of a record shall acknowledge receipt of the request within five days. Should the agency refuse to allow inspection or copying of a record, the agency shall provide written notice of the denial within five working days of the receipt of the request. Records being released in response to a request must be produced within a reasonable amount of time after receipt of the request.

FOAA dictates that the agency may charge a fee to cover the actual cost of searching for, retrieving, and compiling the requested public record of not more than $25 per hour after the first two hours of staff time per request, plus reasonable copy fees at $0.10 cents per page and any associated shipping costs. An estimate of the time necessary to complete the request and the associated costs shall be provided to the requestor within a reasonable time. If the total cost is estimated to be over $30, the agency shall inform the requestor before proceeding. Estimated costs over $100 require payment in advance by the requestor.

FOAA requests should include a detail of the type(s) of records being requested, the time span(s) to be included, the preferred format, and the name and contact information of the requestor. For your convenience, simply fill out an FOAA form (PDF). Any questions should be directed to the City Clerk's Office at 207-680-4210.