This week Mesa County launched its new online portal for record requests.
Now anyone seeking documents from the county can just send an email.
Angela Barnes, the assistant county attorney, says the portal makes getting information easier because people don’t have to go in person, mail or fax a request.
"Everyone is operating via email anymore so it made sense that if a constituent wanted a record or two that they could email us the request," Barnes says.
This week the Mesa County Commissioners also approved a new policy for how much the county can charge for record requests. It used to be that the cost of getting county records varied by department. Barnes says the commissioners were promoted by state lawmakers.
"In 2014 the legislature changed the Open Records Act in Colorado to finally put a price on it," she says.
The change allows municipalities to charge up to $30 an hour for a request.
Barnes says in Mesa County the first hour of research for a record is free. And, after that the county will charge $30 an hour for labor.
"With the full first hour being free, the vast majority of all requests from constituents are going to be free," she estimates.
