Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/openrecords/49cornyn/orl/2000/htm/or200002431.htm
Timestamp: 2017-01-19 04:58:37
Document Index: 513983960

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552']

OR2000-2431
ID# 136789.
The City of Victoria (the "city") received a request for records relating to a former employee,
including "his complete personnel file and all documents and materials related to his
discharge." You have submitted records that the city claims are excepted from disclosure
under sections 552.107 and 552.111 of the Government Code. We have considered the
Initially we note what would seem to be a disparity between the nature of the records specified
by the requestor and the contents of the documents that the city has submitted and seeks to
withhold. As you make no reference to any other responsive records that are held by the city,
we assume that all such records have been released. See Gov't Code §§ 552.301, 552.302. A governmental body that seeks to withhold requested information from public disclosure
must do so in accordance with section 552.301 of the Government Code. Otherwise, section
552.221 of the Government Code requires that requested information be made available to the
requestor promptly. See Gov't Code § 552.221(a); see also Open Records Decision No. 664 (2000) (construing Gov't Code § 552.221). Thus, if the city is in possession of, but has not yet released, any further personnel or other records that are responsive to the request, you must
release those records immediately.(1)
You claim that the submitted documents are excepted from disclosure under section 552.107
of the Government Code. Section 552.107 provides in relevant part that information is
excepted from required public disclosure if
Gov't Code § 552.107(1). Although the scope of section 552.107(1) would appear to be co-extensive with that of rule 1.05 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct,
predecessor to section 552.107(1)). Accordingly, this office has determined that section
552.107(1) protects only what rule 1.05 describes as "privileged" information, i.e., information that represents confidential communications between attorney and client. Id. at 5. "Unprivileged" information, as defined by rule 1.05, is not excepted from disclosure under
section 552.107(1). Id. Thus, section 552.107(1) excepts from disclosure only factual
course of rendering legal services to the client. Id. at 7-8. In this instance, you inform us that
the submitted documents represent communications between the city attorney and other city
officials. Based on your representations and our review of the documents in question, we find
that a portion of the submitted information represents privileged communications between
attorney and client that are excepted from disclosure under section 552.107(1). We have
marked that information. The balance of the submitted information does not involve
privileged matters that section 552.107(1) protects.
You also claim that the submitted information is excepted from disclosure under section
552.111 of the Government Code. Section 552.111 protects "an interagency or intraagency
agency." Gov't Code § 552.111. The purpose of section 552.111 is to protect from public
disclosure advice, opinion, and recommendation used in the decisional process and to
encourage open and frank discussion in the deliberative process. See Austin v. City of San
Antonio, 630 S.W.2d 391, 394 (Tex. App.-San Antonio 1982, no writ); Open Records
Decision No. 538 at 1-2 (1990). In Open Records Decision No. 615 (1993), this office re-examined the statutory predecessor to section 552.111 in light of the decision in Texas
Department of Public Safety v. Gilbreath, 842 S.W.2d 408 (Tex. App.--Austin 1992, no writ). We determined that section 552.111 excepts only those internal communications that consist
processes of the governmental body. See Open Records Decision No. 615 at 5 (1993). A
governmental body's policymaking functions do not encompass routine internal administrative
or personnel matters, and disclosure of information about such matters will not inhibit free
discussion of policy issues among agency personnel. Id.; see also City of Garland v. The Dallas Morning News, 43 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 303 (Jan. 13, 2000) (holding that personnel-related communications not involving policymaking were not excepted from public disclosure
under section 552.111). However, a governmental body's policymaking functions do include
administrative and personnel matters of broad scope that affect the governmental body's policy
mission. See Open Records Decision No. 631 at 3 (1995). Additionally, section 552.111 does not protect facts and written observations of facts and events that are severable from advice,
opinions, and recommendations. See Open Records Decision No. 615 at 5 (1993). But, if the factual information is so inextricably intertwined with material involving advice, opinion, or
recommendation as to make severance of the factual data impractical, that information also
may be withheld under section 552.111. See Open Records Decision No. 313 at 3 (1982). In
this instance, the submitted documents pertain solely to a specific personnel matter. Therefore,
none of the submitted information is excepted from disclosure under section 552.111.
In summary, any other responsive information that the city has not sought to withhold in
accordance with section 552.301 of the Government Code must be made available to the
requestor immediately. A portion of the submitted information is excepted from disclosure
under section 552.107. The balance of the submitted information is not protected under either
section 552.107 or section 552.111 and must be released.
James W Morris III
Ref:	ID# 136789
cc:	Mr. Bob D. Brown
Houston, Marek & Griffin, L. L. P. Attorneys at Law
1. We also note that the requestor may be an attorney representing the former employee whose personnel records are requested. If that is the case here, then as the former employee's authorized representative the requestor has a special right of access, beyond the right of the general public, to records that relate to the requestor's client and that are protected from public disclosure by laws intended to protect his client's privacy interests. See Gov't Code §§ 552.102(a), 552.023(a); Open Records Decision No. 481 at 5 (1987) (stating that where an individual asks a governmental body to release information concerning only that individual, no common law privacy interest arises, and the individual is entitled to that information if the governmental body can claim no other basis for denying access to it). POST OFFICE BOX 12548, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2548 TEL: (512) 463-2100 WEB: WWW.OAG.STATE.TX.US