Summerside’s access to information bylaw now in effect

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The City of Summerside’s new Access to Information and Protection of Personal Information and Document Retention Bylaws were officially proclaimed Tuesday night. 
The bylaws govern what municipal documents residents are entitled to have access to, how much they have to pay for them and what documents the city has to retain and for how long. 
The provincial government mandated, in the new Municipal Governance Act, that all Island municipalities must have similar bylaws in place by Feb. 28. 
Anyone who would like to access to documents from the city can now submit a request to Lisa Langdale, the city's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy co-ordinator. She will be tasked with receiving requests and inquiries and following the bylaw process.
It should be noted that the bylaws are forward-facing only, so residents can only request documents created after Feb. 28, 2020. 
For a photocopying service of the requested document, fees are eight cents per page. If the service requires administrative staff or IT, the charge is $25 per hour; senior staff and management, $50 per hour, and external legal counsel is the actual cost of the acquiring counsel. These fees are to be paid, 50 per cent upfront by the applicant or requester and the remaining balance paid before the release of the information.