Submitted by San Juan County Economic Development Council.
The Economic Development Council, in partnership with the San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney’s office and the San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1, will host the Washington State Attorney General’s Office for two events on the Public Records Act in March, including a general information Public Records Act Workshop and a two-day PRA Boot Camp for agency Public
Records Officers. Morgan Damerow, the Open Government Ombuds and Local Government PRA Consultant, Office of the Attorney General, and Lucy Collis, Local Government PRA Consultant and certified PRO, Office of the Attorney General, will lead the workshops.
Public Records Act Workshop
Building a strong PRA foundation for agencies and requesters will take place March 20, from 2 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. at San Juan Island Grange, 152 First Street N, Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250. The presenter will be Morgan Damerow, Open Government Ombuds and Local Government PRA Consultant, Office of the Attorney General.
The Public Records Act is a significant tool in open government. It requires that agencies make public records available to requesters with narrow exemptions. The PRA does not have secret rules. It works best with a shared understanding of its requirements. In this workshop, we will discuss the PRA’s expectations on agencies in responding to requests for records and on requesters obtaining records. Some of the topics we’ll cover include what is a public record, how to request a record, agency records searches, sensitive information in records and exemptions allowing information to be withheld.
Members of the public, elected officials, agency leaders and staff, Public Records Officers, and members of the media are all invited to attend. No registration is required.
PRA Boot Camp for Public Records Officers
If you are an agency Public Records Officer with less than two years’ experience, or with an agency that does not receive many records requests, Damerow will also be hosting a PRA Boot Camp providing an in-depth training on the PRA response process. Lucy Collis, Local Government PRA Consultant and certified PRO, Office of the Attorney General will also be presenting. This will be in Friday Harbor on March 21 (full day) and March 22 (half day). March 21 goes from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and March 22, from 9 a.m. – noon at the San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1, Training Room, 535 Market Street, Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250. For more information, please contact Damerow by at PRAConsultation@atg.wa.gov or by phone at 360-570-3418.
The PRA Boot Camp is for in-person training for new, and nearly new, Public Records Officers or employees who play a key role in an agency’s response to Public Records Requests.
Over the day and a half, we cover the whole process of responding to Public Records Requests with in-depth sessions on each of the essential parts new PROs will need to know. The sessions are designed to be interactive with group discussion and practice exercises.
Agency Public Records Officers with less than two years’ experience or with an agency that does not receive many records requests are invited to attend.
