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Maryland Public Information Act Guidelines
I. Requesting Public Information from the City of Rockville, MD
The City of Rockville is required to grant access to public records in accordance with Maryland's Public Information Act ("MPIA"), Title 10, Subtitle 6, Part III of the State Government Article. The City Manager is the City's official custodian of records ("Custodian of Records") for MPIA requests. Requests for information under the MPIA only require production of existing documents under the control of the City. The MPIA does not require the City to compile information from existing documents or create documents in response to general inquiries.
II. How to make a request
Requests for public information must be made to the City Manager's Office. A request for public information may be mailed, sent by facsimile, or emailed to:
City Manager's Office
Attn: MPIA Coordinator
111 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850
240-314- 8130 (Fax)
mpia@rockvillemd.gov
III. Guidelines for a Written Request
When making an MPIA request, you are encouraged to use the City of Rockville Maryland Public Information Act Request Form. Your written request should include your name, address, phone number and/or email address in case staff needs to contact you. Your request should sufficiently identify the records that you are seeking including a clearly identified subject matter, specific dates or ranges of dates of documents requested, and names or titles of individuals that may have documents responsive to your request, if known, so that responsive documents can be more readily retrieved.
IV. Time Limits
The City will acknowledge receipt of your request within five (5) business days. City staff will contact you if additional information is required and provide the estimated charge for your request, if applicable. The 30 calendar days for responding to your request will start when all information required to process the request has been provided, and you have agreed to the payment estimate and paid a deposit, if applicable. A response may include copies of the records requested or notification that records are available for your review. Should the City need additional time, due to the nature of the request, City staff will contact you to discuss an extension of time. If the City is not the appropriate custodian of records, staff will notify you within 10 calendar days of receipt of the request.
V. Fees
A. Processing Fee
The first two hours of staff time for search and review are free. After the first two hours, the City will charge a flat fee of $40 per hour, which is the amount the City finds is reasonable under § 10-621(a) of the MPIA.
B. Copying Fee
The first 40 pages of black and white, single-sided copies of documents requested are free. Beyond that, the City will charge fees for copies in accordance with the Maryland Public Information Act Pricing Schedule.
C. Deposit
For requests with an estimated initial cost of $200 or more, the City will require a 50% deposit prior to undertaking collection and copying of documents. No records will be released until all required fees are paid.
D. Waiver of Fees
A waiver of fees may be requested in writing to the Custodian of Records. The Custodian of Records may waive a fee if, after the ability of the applicant to pay the fee and other relevant factors have been considered, the Custodian of Records makes the determination that the waiver would be in the public interest.
VI. Questions
Any questions regarding the City's MPIA Guidelines and/or Request Form should be directed to the MPIA Coordinator at 240-314-8139.