Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 39 - UTILITIES › Part 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE › Chapter 4 - Records of the Commission and Staff made Public › Rule 39-1-4 › Section 39-1-4-101 - Staff Policy

Current through June 25, 2024
This rule is adopted pursuant to the requirements of the
					 "Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983." (Miss. Code Ann. §
										25-61-1
					 et seq.). Except as provided or authorized by Miss. Code Ann. §
										25-61-9,
					 25-61-11,
					 77-3-79,
					 and
					 79-23-1,
					 or as may otherwise be provided by law, all public records of the Staff are
					 hereby declared to be public property. All persons shall have the right to
					 inspect, copy or mechanically reproduce or obtain a reproduction of such
					 documents as are in the possession of the Staff and in accordance with
					 reasonable written procedures adopted by the Staff.
1.
Informal Requests
It is the policy of the Staff to encourage and promote
					 public participation in public affairs and, toward that end, the Staff declares
					 its desire and intent to promptly honor all requests for access to or copies of
					 all documents in the possession of the Staff. Informal requests for information
					 or documents may be made orally or in writing to the Executive Director of the
					 Staff, and all reasonable efforts will be made to comply promptly with such
					 requests. Informal requests shall not be considered as a request made under the
					 provisions of the "Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983."
2.
Formal Requests
If desired, a formal request for documents may be made to
					 the Executive Director of the Staff pursuant to the provisions of this
					 rule.
a.
Form
Such request shall be in writing and shall state or
					 describe with particularity the documents being requested. A formal request for
					 documents shall be designated as such and shall state its reliance upon this
					 rule. The request should be addressed to the Executive Director at the
					 addresses provided in RPs 3 and 5 herein.
b.
Charges
In the discretion of the Executive Director, a charge not
					 to exceed fifty cents (50) per page plus an administrative cost may be imposed.
					 Such charge shall include the actual cost of searching, reviewing and/or
					 duplicating records. An additional charge for mailing copies to the requesting
					 person may be assessed. Fees pursuant to this rule may be required to be paid
					 in advance of complying with the request pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. §
												25-61-7.
c.
Copying
All copying shall be done by the Staff. Original documents
					 shall not be taken from the Office of the Staff for copying except by
					 authorized personnel.
d.
Time
Formal requests for documents shall be responded to on or
					 before fourteen (14) working days from the date upon which the request is
					 received by the Executive Director.
e.
Denials
Any denial of a request for documents under the provisions
					 of any applicable law or court decision shall be in writing and shall contain a
					 statement of the specific reason for the denial. The Staff shall maintain a
					 file of all denials of requests for public records which shall be in the
					 possession and under the supervision of the Executive Director. Copies of all
					 denials shall be maintained on file for a period of not less than three (3)
					 years from the date upon which the denial was made. Any person desiring to
					 inspect the file shall be allowed to do so upon written request to the
					 Executive Director.