Public records belong to the people. Regarding the recent court ruling in the public records lawsuit against the City of Lakewood: I feel it is extremely important that the City make available the 58 items the court has ordered the City to release. It is my understanding that the city intends to do this. When they do so, I will be sure to share what is released.
There is room for improvement in our public records processes. Though in some cases it may be legally permissible to invoke privileges to withhold records from the public, we as a government should always use the most liberal interpretation of what qualifies as a public record. We must side with people by making records as available as possible and in the most timely manner.
