Public Record Requests
Click here for our fillable form to request a public record from the Office of Council Services (OCS).
The Hawaii Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA), Chapter 92F of Hawaii Revised Statutes, allows anyone to request access to public records. Public records include all materials maintained in government offices and agencies, with certain exemptions. The UIPA is administered by the Office of Information Practices.
UIPA Section 92F-2: In a democracy, the people are vested with the ultimate decision-making power. Government agencies exist to aid the people in the formation and conduct of public policy. Opening up the government processes to public scrutiny and participation is the only viable and reasonable method of protecting the public’s interest. Therefore the legislature declares that it is the policy of this State that the formation and conduct of public policy—the discussions, deliberations, decisions, and action of government agencies—shall be conducted as openly as possible.
Exemptions include records that constitute an invasion of privacy, current judicial proceedings of which the office or agency is a part, confidential government records, and draft papers of legislative committees. Also exempt are medical information, criminal investigations, social services information, personnel files, and personal recommendations and evaluations.
REQUEST TO ACCESS A PUBLIC RECORD
You may use this form to request a public record from OCS.
Please consider that information you may be requesting from OCS may be readily available online.
- Meeting agendas and details, including committee reports, proposed legislation, and minutes
- Meeting videos
- Councilmember contact information
- Laws and resolutions
To request records maintained by other County departments, please visit the Administration’s website at MauiCounty.gov and contact the specific department directly.
You are not required to use the form or to provide any personal information; however, it may expedite the process if you do so. Processing of your request may also be incomplete if there is insufficient information or if OCS is unable to contact you. Please describe the record as specifically as possible so that it can be located. Attach additional pages if needed.
Please also indicate how you would like to access the records, either inspection or retrieval at OCS, or by providing contact information to have the records sent by mail, email, or fax.
Once you submit the form, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt. OCS is generally required to respond within 10 business days, or in extenuating circumstances, within 20 business days. You will be notified within 10 business days if there is a delay in processing your request, or if the request cannot be processed.
If you have questions or concerns about your request, please contact OCS at (808) 270-7838 or ocs.request@mauicounty.us, or you may call the Office of Information Practices at (808) 586-1400.
FEES FOR PROCESSING PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS
You may be charged fees for the services OCS must perform when processing your request. The first $30 of fees charged for searching, reviewing, and segregating records will not be charged to you. Any amount over $30 will be charged to you. In some instances, prepayment of fees and may be required. Fees are as follows:
- Search for a Record $2.50 for 15 minutes
- Review and Segregation of a Record $5.00 for 15 minutes
- Duplication Fees $0.25 per page
WAIVER OF FEES IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
The first $60 of fees for searching for, reviewing, and segregating records may be waived when the waiver would serve the public interest. If you wish to apply for a waiver of fees in the public interest, you must attach a statement of facts to your request, including your identity as the requester, to show how the waiver of fees would serve the public interest. The criteria for the waiver, found at Section 2-71-32, Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR), are:
- The requested record pertains to the operations or activities of an agency;
- The record is not readily available in the public domain; and
- The requester has the primary intention and the actual ability to widely disseminate information from the government record to the public at large.
REQUESTER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
You have certain responsibilities under Section 2-71-16, HAR, which include making arrangements to inspect and copy records, providing further clarification or description of the requested record as instructed by the agency’s notice, and making a prepayment of fees and costs, if assessed.
