At a recent meeting of the Bessemer City Council, uniform procedures for the release of public information were addressed and approved. The Alabama law governing these procedures has been updated since 2006, ensuring that citizens have the right to inspect and copy public records subject to Alabama law.
Bessemer City Clerk Wanda Taylor notified the City Council concerning the necessity to update the city’s public records request policy. Councilman Chester W. Porter applauded Taylor for initiating the policy update, noting its importance for transparency.
Taylor presented the City Council with a revised City of Bessemer Public Records Policy that reflects the current law. Under this new policy, once a request is submitted, the city has ten (10) days to respond to the request and then provide an estimated time frame for producing the records.
Councilwoman Donna Thigpen made a motion to approve the resolution adopting Bessemer’s records policy and a standardized public records request form. Councilman Teco Stephens seconded the motion, and the motion carried officially.
