P-0350 - Citizens Access To Public Records 04-19-1988-5

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062 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Ag nda Item No. ~~ ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: APRIL 19, 1988 SUBJECT: PUBLIC RECORDS DEPARTMENT: COUNTY MANAGER PUBLIC HEARING: Yes X No ATTACHMENT(S):. INFORMATION CONTACT: MANAGER'S OFFICE,X501 GEl`iERAL STATUTES REFERRING TO TELEPHONE NUMBER: PUBLIC RECORDS Hillsborough - 732-8181 Chapel Hill - 968-4501 Mebane - 227-2031 Durham - 688-7331 PURPOSE: To provide Board with preliminary report on Manager's proposed approach in providing access to public documents provided by and for Orange County. • BACKGROUND: North Carolina General Statute Section 132-1 defines public records as meaning all "documents,-papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, films, sound recordings, electronic data processing records, artifacts, or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency in North Carolina government or its subdivisions." Public records do not include written communications and copies of .those communica- tions "made within the scope of the attorney-client relation- ship by any attorney-at-law serving the governmental body concerning any claim against, or on behalf of the County, or concerning the prosecution, defense, settlement or litigation of any judicial action, or any administrative or other type of proceeding to which the County is a party, or by which it is or may be directly affected." In addition to the accessibility referenced above, privileged information personnel files of employees, former employees or applicants for employment to the extent of the privilege • should not be disclosed. N. C. General Statute 153A-98 covers the employee personnel records exception to the general rule that all County documents are public records.