JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
New Hope’s Board of Mayor & Aldermen (BoMA) recently passed a new resolution to adopt an official public records policy into law.
According to city recorder Morgan Lawson, the policy provides efficient access to all public records for residents to view while legally protect the integrity of each archived document. Additionally, the policy ensures the city’s operations and displaying of all public records meet state law under the Tennessee Public Record Act. She noted that if a specific form of record is requested, it must either be requested orally or a resident is needed to fill out the form needed to view a specific document.
“You can look at them, but it’s suggested to not use your own devices to take pictures in case if the original copy is damaged,” explained Lawson. “Inspections are free of charge and appointments may be required for inspection.”
Passed into Tennessee law in 1957, the state’s Public Records Act grants all residents in each county access to various records maintained through both state and municipal offices. The act additionally allows for records to be accessible to non-citizens of Tennessee. Records include meeting minutes, financial reports, and contracts. Each can be viewed physically and electronically through the local municipality’s office or government website once requested.
The BoMA officially approved the policy once all information regarding it was shared, allowing it to be adopted into local code for the community.