Public Records Public Records
Agency or Institution Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency
Name of the public records officer Patty J. Walker
Email address of the public records officer patty@yrcaa.org
Records Request Fees click here for fees list
Are there website instructions on how to request records Yes
from the agency?
Agency Website Website
Is there a specific form to be used by requesters? Yes
How to obtain the request form At our website, or can be sent via fax or mail, or in person.
The form is not required, but preferred.
Ways to request information Verbal in person, phone, email, postal mail, online request
form, FAX
Other Info
Contact information for verbal requests Give name of person requesting information, what they are
requesting, and how they want to receive their response.
Phone number for phone requests 509-834-2050 ext 102
Email address for email requests patty@yrcaa.org
Postal address for requests through the mail ATTN: Patty Walker Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency,
329 N First St., Yakima, WA 98901
Web address of online form www.yakimacleanair.org and click on forms
Fax number for Fax requests 509-834-2060
Public records request fee schedule (URL) Fee schedule is listed on the request form.
How to obtain public records request fee schedule
Fees Fees
Agency or Institution Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency
Agency Policies for Public Records Requests Policies for record requests
How to Obtain Public Records how to obtain public records
Per page copy fee for the public to make their own copies. .15 single sided .25 double sided
Per page copy fee for agency staff to make copies. No charge
Is there a policy for waiving copying fees? If under $5.00 no charge.
Per page digital record fee for records requests. $6 each tape
What is your agency’s fee per CD, if digital copies are $5 each CD
provided on a CD?
Are electronic copies of records available via email or CD? Yes
Charge for copies of audio records. $6 for tape
Charge for existing video records. We do not have existing video records
The charge for a certification page and/or each additional We do not charge for certifying
page.
Charge for producing a written transcript from an audio We do not do this.
record.
Charge for records research. We do not charge for this.
Procedures Procedures
Agency/Institution Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency
Is PRA training for staff offered? Yes
What are the training materials used for PRA training Materials from seminars and the PRA.
How frequent are training materials updated? Annually, or when I receive updated materials.
How extensive is the PRA training provided to rank and Not extensive, but enough to respond if I am out of the
file staff? office.
How extensive is the PRA training provided to department More extensive than staff.
heads?
How extensive is the PRA training provided to the public I attend training often to keep updated on new laws.
records officers?
Is there a written policy for how public records requests Yes
are to be handled when received?
Are there reference resources on the written policy for your It is provided in our Administrative Code to all staff. Staff is
staff’s use? What is the format of that resource and who given oral and writtten instructions and has done some
has access to it? hands on training with a request.
Is training provided to staff on local PRA procedures? Yes.
Does every department in the agency receive that training? No.
Which department provides that training? Executive or Administrative Division.
How often is local procedure training updated? When new laws come into effect training is updated.
How often is local procedure training offered? Not often. This is given more to front office people so they
understand what is required when a public record request is
received.
Is training optional or mandatory for rank and file? It depends on the position. Front office is somewhat
mandatory.
Is training optional or mandatory for department heads? Mandatory to the extent they are aware of their
responsibility when a request comes in.
Is training optional or mandatory for public records Mandatory.
officers?
When a PRA request occurs how is it conveyed to the Either by email, or one-on-one. Our organization is small
appropriate department? and we are able to communicate easily with each other.
Who is responsible to make sure department responses are Public Records Officer.
timely and adequate?
What in-house corrective measures have been taken to Working knowledge of the PRA.
improve inadequate responses?
What percentage does the agency assemble its original Low percentage. More often people do not want to come to
records for review compared to copies produced and the office to review. Request copy of materials.
assembled for review?
If copies are assembled, are they willing to make electronic Yes. However, it is prohibitive with some of our records.
copies on request? We have to scan the documents, and then attach to the email
response.
Who determines whether redaction is required? The source may request some of their records do not disclose
some of their processes. Public request non-disclosure on
complaints.
How extensive is the PRA training provided to staff Extensive.
responsible for redaction?
Is that training mandatory? Yes.
Does agency policy require every response to a records Usually sooner. If materials are large in scope the 5 days
request to be delayed by the five days permitted by law, or response is given to obtain clarification, etc.
does the agency usually respond sooner than 5 days?
Does the agency maintain a log of when each PRA request Yes.
was received and when it was fulfilled or denied?
If the agency does maintain a log, do they put who Yes.
requested it on which date?
If a PRA request is to be denied who in the agency is Executive Director and/or Division Supervisor.
involved in that decision?
How many times in the past five years has the agency been Never.
sued for having inappropriately withheld a public record?
How many of those lawsuits resulted in the agency paying Never.
a per-day penalty, court costs, attorney fees, or a settlement
to the plaintiff?
What suggestions does the agency have to offer regarding Several laws prohibiting nuisance request is beneficial. I
how to improve the PRA process in Washington State? believe electronic files and response is going to be
prohibitive on certain records. If the organization could
charge at least part of staff time it would help, especially for
larger request that are received.