Open Records Information (Right to Know Law)
About the Right-to-Know Law
The mission of the Office of Open Records is to implement and enforce the state's Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) and serve as a source for citizens, agencies, public officials, and members of the media in obtaining public records of their government. Agencies are to ensure that citizens are provided access to records to which they are entitled. Requestors are to use good judgment in seeking records from the public body and not use this law to harass or overburden a public body from performing its other functions.
Open Records Officer
Mark E. Stivers
Email the Open Records Officer
308 Locust Street
Columbia, PA 17512
Phone: 717-684-2467
Presumption of Openness
Under the Right-to-Know aw, all records are presumed to be public record unless disclosure is barred by: (1) state or federal law or regulation; (2) judicial order; (3) privilege, e.g., attorney client or doctor-patient; or (4) one of the exceptions in Section 708 of the Right-to-Know Law. The burden in on the government agency to establish why the record is not available. See exceptions protected from disclosure here. A requester can file a Right-to-Know by fax, Email, U.S. Mail and in person. Make sure your request for records is specific and concise. Identify as specifically as you can the record you want. The Borough has five business days to respond in writing to: (1) grant the request; (2) deny the request citing the legal basis; (3) invoke a thirty day extension.
Right-to-Know Forms
How to File an Appeal
Requests for accident reports, or any type of police record must be obtained at the Columbia Borough Police Department, phone number 717-684-6627
The mission of the Office of Open Records is to implement and enforce the state's Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) and serve as a source for citizens, agencies, public officials, and members of the media in obtaining public records of their government. Agencies are to ensure that citizens are provided access to records to which they are entitled. Requestors are to use good judgment in seeking records from the public body and not use this law to harass or overburden a public body from performing its other functions.
Open Records Officer
Mark E. Stivers
Email the Open Records Officer
308 Locust Street
Columbia, PA 17512
Phone: 717-684-2467
Presumption of Openness
Under the Right-to-Know aw, all records are presumed to be public record unless disclosure is barred by: (1) state or federal law or regulation; (2) judicial order; (3) privilege, e.g., attorney client or doctor-patient; or (4) one of the exceptions in Section 708 of the Right-to-Know Law. The burden in on the government agency to establish why the record is not available. See exceptions protected from disclosure here. A requester can file a Right-to-Know by fax, Email, U.S. Mail and in person. Make sure your request for records is specific and concise. Identify as specifically as you can the record you want. The Borough has five business days to respond in writing to: (1) grant the request; (2) deny the request citing the legal basis; (3) invoke a thirty day extension.
Right-to-Know Forms
How to File an Appeal
Requests for accident reports, or any type of police record must be obtained at the Columbia Borough Police Department, phone number 717-684-6627
