Public Records

Washington State defines a Public Record as any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics. For the office of the secretary of the senate and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives, public records means legislative records as defined in RCW 40.14.100 and also means the following: All budget and financial records; personnel leave, travel, and payroll records; records of legislative sessions; reports submitted to the legislature; and any other record designated a public record by any official action of the senate or the house of representatives.

The City of Ephrata complies with all laws and statutes regarding the release of public records. Read more about the full Public Records Act under RCW 42.56.

The City of Ephrata and Ephrata Police Department both have a five dollar ($5.00) de minimis for each records request. There is no fee for any records request that totals $4.99 or less. A full list of public record fees can be found in the City of Ephrata Fee Schedule. 


REQUESTING A PUBLIC RECORD
If you wish to review or inspect any specific, identifiable records of the City of Ephrata or Ephrata Police Department (available under the Public Records Act, RCW 42), you may make a Public Disclosure Request. Requests will be accepted in person at the following locations and by the following methods listed for each location:

Ephrata City Hall
121 Alder Street SW
Ephrata, WA 98823
FAX: (509) 754-0912
EMAIL: ltrachsler@ephrata.org and contact@ephrata.org
Public Records Request Form

Ephrata Police Dept
121 Alder Street SW
Ephrata, WA 98823
FAX: (509) 754-1294
EMAIL: epdcontact@ephrata.org
ONLINE: Requesting Police Records

Questions may be directed to the Public Records Officer at (509) 754-4601 or Ephrata Police Records Manager at 509-754-2491.


HELPFUL INFORMATION
The following guidelines will expedite your request for Public Records. 

  1. Request forms are available at Ephrata City Hall, Ephrata Police Department, and in the navigation panel to the left. Fill out the form and bring, mail, or fax. Emailed requests should include the same information as requested on the form. There must be enough information to locate the specific document(s) you are requesting. You may also scan a completed form and email it. 
  2. Some documents may not be available under the Public Records Act, but may be available under other laws under certain circumstances. If any record is withheld or if parts of it have been censored (“redacted”), we will identify what was deleted and the law by which we have denied access.
  3. A response will be provided within five (5) business days of the time that the Request is received. At that time we will provide the record(s), deny the request, or give you a reasonable date by which to review and/or purchase the record(s). You may be contacted to clarify the request in order to serve you better.
  4. An appeal process is provided by the Public Records Act if you believe we have not fully complied with the provisions of the Act.