Pursuant to A.R.S. §39-121.01(D), any person may request to examine or be furnished copies, printouts or photographs of any public record during regular office hours (7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday). A records custodian for the Town may furnish or cause to be furnished such copies, printouts or photographs in response to a written request and will charge a fee.

A person requesting to inspect and/or obtain copies, printouts or photographs of public records in person should complete the Town of Payson Public Records Inspection and Reproduction Request Form and present it to the Town Clerk for processing. Alternatively, a written request for copies, printouts or photographs may be mailed to the records custodian at 303 North Beeline Highway, Payson, Arizona 85541, and should include a completed form and a check or money order, made payable to the Town of Payson, equal to the reproduction charge. The records custodian will respond to such a request as expeditiously as possible and may return the request if it is found to lack the specificity necessary to identify the records if sufficient payment is not made.

Pursuant to A.R.S. §39-121.03, any person requesting copies, printouts or photographs of public records for a Commercial Purpose must provide a Statement setting forth the commercial purpose for which the copies, printouts or photographs will be used. A person providing a statement setting forth the commercial purpose for which the reproduction will be used may be furnished such reproduction at the discretion of the records custodian for a charge reflecting the following:

1. A portion of the cost to the Town for obtaining the documents or records to be reproduced;
2. A reasonable fee covering the cost of time, equipment and personnel in making the reproduction; and
3. The value of the reproduction on the commercial market.

If the records custodian believes that the commercial purpose of a reproduction is a misuse of public records or an abuse of the right to receive them, the records custodian may refuse a request for reproduction of such record for said commercial purpose and may request the Governor to prohibit the furnishing of reproductions for such commercial purposes by Executive Order. If an Executive Order is not issued within thirty (30) days of the custodian’s application, the requesting party will be furnished such reproduction for the commercial purpose set forth in his or her statement.

“Commercial purpose” is broadly defined by law as “any purpose in which the purchaser can reasonably anticipate the receipt of monetary gain from the direct or indirect use of such public record.” A.R.S. §39-121.03(D). “Commercial purpose” includes copies of records for sale or resale and copies of printouts of names and addresses for purposes of solicitation of business.

IMPORTANT:
An individual who obtains a public record for a commercial purpose without indicating the commercial purpose or who obtains a public record for a noncommercial purpose and uses or knowingly allows the use of such public record for a commercial purpose and uses or knowingly allows the use of such public record for a different commercial purpose or who obtains a public record from anyone other than the custodian of such records and uses it for a commercial purpose shall be liable in damages and other penalties. A.R.S. §§39- 121.03, - 161.

You may request by either filling out and submitting the form below, OR by downloading and completing the PDF version of the Public Records Request Form and bring the form to the Town of Payson Clerks Office at 303 N. Beeline Hwy., Payson, AZ 85541, or email the form to hstanley@paysonaz.gov.

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 39-171, the Town’s point of contact for public records requests is H. Michelle Stanley, Deputy Town Clerk, and can be reached at (928) 472-5001 and hstanley@paysonaz.gov.

The background to the law is that HB 2587 requires public entities that are subject to public records request to post on their website the name, telephone number, and email address of the employee or department that is authorized to provide the information requested or able to forward the request to an employee or department. It does make an exemption for entities that maintain an online centralized option for submission of public records requests that provides a receipt on submission of a request. The law also requires an authorized employee or department to acknowledge receipt of the records request within five business days.

Public Records Inspection and Reproduction Request