The City of Redwood City’s City Clerk’s Office has launched a new webpage that has streamlined its process related to receiving, compiling records for and responding to Public Records Act (PRA) requests. The new portal is powered by industry-leading NextRequest software to facilitate public access to public records in agreement with the California PRA.
The City encourages community members to submit public records requests via the new online portal, but it isn’t required.
“It is the goal of the City to provide service in a transparent manner, and we understand and support the public’s right to access public records,” said Mayor of Redwood City Diane Howard. “We hope this program will make it easier for people to obtain those records.”
Per the City, by using the portal, community members can make new requests, receive communications and responsive records, view previously submitted requests, and in some cases, view related response documents. System users can also track the status of their public records requests online.
In announcing this latest news, the City cautioned that anything submitted to them as part of a PRA request is considered public record, so confidential information should be omitted. They also noted that requesters’ birthdates and social security numbers will not be required when submitting a new request. Personal contact information will not be publicly visible, but it may be released in relation to a public records request.
For more information about the new portal, click here. For requests via phone or email, or for questions related to it, contact the City Clerk’s Office at CLERK2@redwoodcity.org or (650) 780-7221.
