HOPKINS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
OPEN RECORDS REQUEST POLICY
I. Scope
This policy sets forth the process for requesting public records from the Hopkins County Health Department.
II. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines to anyone wishing to request a review of public records maintained by the Hopkins County Health Department.
III. Policy and Procedures
All requests for copies or review of public records in the custody of the Hopkins County Health Department must be made in writing. All requests can be emailed to phyllisw.mason@ky.gov.
Individuals submitting an open records request may utilize the Standardized Open Records Request Form, attached hereto. However, it is not required.
Additionally, an individual may hand-deliver, mail, or fax a request to:
Hopkins County Health Department
Attn: Records Custodian
412 North Kentucky Ave.
P.O. Box 1266
Madisonville, KY 42431
Fax: (270) 825-0138
The Request must include a description of the records requested, a signature of the person making the request, and contact information of the requester.
Public records subject to an Open Records Request are those materials prepared, owned, used, possessed, maintained or retained by state and local government agencies that must be open for public inspection unless the records are excluded by an exemption in the Kentucky Open Records Act or other applicable law. Public agencies are not required to compile information or to answer questions, but to provide only access to specific records responsive to a request.
The Hopkins County Health Department charges 10 cents per released page. For electronic documents placed on a compact disc or flash drive, the charge is $10.00, plus postage. The Records Custodian will send a letter requesting payment prior to the release of records.
The Hopkins County Health Department has five (5) business days to issue a response, unless otherwise directed by the Governor’s Office via a State of Emergency Order or other applicable Order.
If the requester intends to use the documents received for a commercial purpose, the requester must indicate such in the request so that an appropriate fee can be charged. The requester must be a resident of Kentucky as that term is defined on the attached form.