Charge fees for reviewing and editing audio and video records requests
In Plain English
The city currently provides electronic records like police body camera footage for free under the Public Records Act. The new law allows staff to charge fees when they must review, extract portions, or black out sensitive information from audio and video files. Fee amounts are not specified in this proposal.
Auto-generated summary. Source: official agenda documents.
Votes
Motion · Official minutes
Accept staff recommendation with amendment to reduce fee by 25% for immediate family members
2 aye · 2 nay · 2 abstain · 1 absent
Why This Vote Matters
The proposal to allow the city to charge fees for processing electronic records like police body camera footage failed in a tied vote, with two members absent or abstaining. The ordinance would have let staff charge residents when they need to review, edit, or redact sensitive information from audio and video files requested under the Public Records Act, though no specific fee amounts were set. Councilmembers Bates and Mayor Butt supported the measure with an amendment to give 25% discounts to immediate family members, while Councilmembers Choi and Willis opposed it. The failure is notable given that both Choi and Willis almost always support governance measures, suggesting significant concerns about the proposal.
Auto-generated context based on official minutes.
Motions without individual roll-call records
Motion · Official minutes
Accept staff recommendation with amendment to provide fee waiver for anyone directly related to victim in complaint: mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, husband or wife
Motion · Official minutes
Accept staff recommendation as presented
Related agenda records
Automatically matched by topic. Open an item to check its relevance and each motion’s outcome.
Public Records Act fee ordinance
Ordinance to amend Richmond Municipal Code 2.34 regarding fees for electronic records
Amendment to Citizens Police Review Commission ordinance
Citizens Police Review Commission Ordinance Amendment
Contract with SOFTFILE for digital archiving services