Otherwise, there would be a chilling effect cast upon the ability of the government to function as a system. There must be an open atmosphere among staff members whereby they may express their opinions, give recommendations and otherwise engage in a preliminary process in support of the ultimate decision-maker s final decision. This purpose is not served by the nondisclosure of a list containing the names and addresses of unclaimed property owners, the year the property was reported unclaimed, the amount or value of the property, and the names and addresses of companies holding the property. It is apparent that the unclaimed property list cannot be characterized as correspondence with a private individual. Not every paper in the office of a public agency is a public record subject to public inspection.
Many papers are simply work papers which are exempted because they are preliminary drafts and notes.
Yellow pads can be filled with outlines, notes, drafts and doodlings which are unceremoniously thrown in the wastebasket or which may in certain cases be kept in a desk drawer for future reference. Such preliminary drafts and notes and preliminary memoranda are part of the tools which a public employee or officer uses in hammering out official action within the function of his office. They are expressly exempted by the Open Records Law and may be destroyed or kept at will and are not subject to public inspection. OAG 78-626, p. 2. Resolution of this appeal turns on the issue of whether the disputed list is a work paper because it is a preliminary draft or note.