Please click below if you are looking for Police Records:
Please below if you are looking for any other type of records, including (but not limited to) Fire Department, Public Works, Building/Planning, Wastewater, Human Resources, General Admin, Finance, etc…
The City of Selah is committed to responding to all public records request in a timely manner. Washington law requires state and local agencies to make public records available to the public. The law, the Washington State Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) supports the public’s right to be informed about what their government is doing.
The Act also lists certain public records that do not have to be disclosed. These exemptions are intended to prevent unreasonable invasions of personal privacy or the use of public records for personal or commercial gain.
The Act also requires that the public records requested are “identifiable.” Your public records disclosure request must include a reasonable description that would allow a City of Selah employee to locate the records. A general question is not a public disclosure request.
Effective Immediately: Requestors asking for records between a given date and “the present” will automatically have the date they submit their request be considered “the present.”
(No duty to supplement: A public records request is not continuing in nature. If a requester desires records created or obtained by the City after the date the request was submitted, the requester must submit a new records request).
Looking for Court Records?
Please be advised that court records are not subject to the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). Selah Municipal Court records are governed by Washington State Court General Rules (GR31 and GR31.1), please contact our court clerk, Anita Garcia or visit our Municipal Court website.
Hours For Inspection of Records
Public records are available to be scheduled for inspection and copying during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding legal holidays. There is no fee for inspection of public records.
Costs For Copies
A requester may obtain standard black and white copies for $0.15 cents per page, $0.10 per electronic copies or the actual costs incurred by the City if over-sized records are sent out to a 3rd party vendor for reproduction. Please see the Selah’s Public Record Policy for a complete break-down of fees. The Public Record Officer or designee may require a deposit of 10 percent of the estimated costs of copying all records by the requester.
Closing Abandoned Requests
The requester must claim or review the assembled records within 30 days of notification that the records are available for inspection of copying. If the requester fails to claim or review the records within the 30-day period or make other arrangements the public records officer may close the request. Persons seeking public records available for inspection and copying from the City of Selah may seek assistance from the Public Records Officer.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
CITY OF SELAH – PUBLIC RECORDS POLICY
COMMON EXEMPTIONS – NOT IN RCW 42.56
EXECUTIVE ORDER PRO-01: INDEX OF RECORDS
EXECUTIVE ORDER PRO-02: CHARGES FOR COPIES
Frequently requested records:
City Council agendas and minutes
Washington State Office of the Attorney General
Information guide on Obtaining Public Records
Additional Public Disclosure Resources:
Washington Coalition for Open Government