Public Records Public Records
Agency or Institution DEPARTMENT OF RETIREMENT SYSTEMS
Name of the public records officer Ken Goolsby
Email address of the public records officer pdr@drs.wa.gov
Records Request Fees
Are there website instructions on how to request records PDR is available through DRS' contact information at,
from the agency? http://www.drs.wa.gov/administration/contact.htm
Agency Website www.drs.wa.gov
Is there a specific form to be used by requesters? No
How to obtain the request form
Ways to request information Telephone, email or in person
Contact information for verbal requests Ken Goosby, Public Disclosure Officer
Phone number for phone requests (360) 664-7291; toll free at 1-800-547-6657, option 1, extension
47291; or fax to (360) 753-3166.
Email address for email requests pdr@drs.wa.gov
Postal address for requests through the mail Department of Retirement Systems, PO Box 48380, Olympia,
WA 98504-8380
Web address of online form
Fax number for Fax requests (360) 753-3166
Public records request fee schedule (URL)
How to obtain public records request fee schedule
Procedures Procedures
Agency/Institution DEPARTMENT OF RETIREMENT SYSTEMS
Do you offer PRA training to your staff? Extensive training for those directly involved in responding
to PDRs. Generalized overview information to all other staff.
What training materials do you use for PRA training? We generally procure training though the AGs office or
through WAPRO.
How frequently are training materials updated? N/A
How extensive, in terms of breadth and depth, is the PRA Not very deep or broad. An overview.
training provided to rank and file staff?
How extensive, in terms of breadth and depth, is the PRA Slightly more involved for executive management than
training provided to department heads? general staff.
How extensive, in terms of breadth and depth, is the PRA Broad and deep.
training provided to your public records officers?
Does your agency have a written policy for how public Yes
records requests are to be handled when received?
Do you provide reference resources on the written policy Primarily access to WAPRO materials for records officers.
for your staff’s use? If so, what is the format of that resource
and who has access to it?
Do you provide training to your staff on your local PRA I'm unclear as to what you mean by "local" procedures
procedures?
Does every department in your agency receive that No
training?
Which department provides that training? n/a
How often is local procedure training updated? n/a
How often is local procedure training offered? n/a
Is training optional or mandatory for rank and file? no additional training for rank and file on public disclosure.
But there are trainings available on records management.
Is training optional or mandatory for department heads? n/a
Is training optional or mandatory for public records mandatory
officers?
When a PRA request occurs how is it conveyed to the We have a cental contact point for all requests. The request is
appropriate department? forwarded there and one of the two public disclosure officers
will respond.
Who is responsible to make sure department responses are The public disclosure officer is responsible, as overseen by
timely and adequate? the Legal/Legislative services manager.
What in-house corrective measures have been taken to Additional training/resources are provided when necessary.
improve inadequate responses?
What percentage does your agency assemble its original Most requests are for copies. We rarely have requests to view
records for review compared to copies produced and original documents.
assembled for review?
If copies are assembled, are you willing to make electronic Yes
copies on request?
Who determines whether redaction is required? The public disclosure officer, consults with legal/leg manager
and/or AAGs when necessary
How extensive, in terms of breadth and depth, is the PRA See above.
training provided to staff responsible for redaction?
Is that training mandatory? Yes
Does agency policy require every response to a records Response time varies based upon workload. Usually sooner.
request to be delayed by the five days permitted by law, or
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 you put who Yes
requested it on which date?
If a PRA request is to be denied who in the agency is Public Disclosure Officer and Legal/Leg Manager
involved in that decision (job titles only)?
How many times in the past five years has your agency less than five
been sued for having inappropriately withheld a public
record?
How many of those lawsuits resulted in the agency paying One was settled
a per-day penalty, court costs, attorney fees, or a settlement
to the plaintiff?
Has your agency adopted rules to protect public records Internal policies only.
from damage or disorganization?
Has your agency adopted rules to prevent public records Not yet, but we are considering it.
requests from interfering with other essential functions of
the agency, such as by limiting the total number of man-
hours available for processing public records requests
during a particular period of time, or delaying processing of
requests when the available resources are exceeded? If so,
where can those rules be found?
Do agency rules on handling public records requests that is their intent.
provide for the fullest assistance to inquirers and the most
timely possible action on requests for information?
Does your agency have procedures in place to ensure that Yes
records which are the subject of a pending public records
request will not be destroyed or erased until the request is
resolved?
What suggestions does your agency have to offer regarding
how to improve the PRA process in Washington State? (i.e.
how to go about reducing the cost of compliance with the
public records act, etc.)