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City Council · October 26, 2026

Council Discusses Public Information Request Process And Concerns

Princeton City Council discussed how the city handles public information requests during its October 26 pre-council meeting, including questions about portal access, possible missing documents, redactions, and staff workload.

City Logged 492 Records Requests This Year

Staff reported that from January 1 through September 30, the city received 492 public information requests, completed 421, and had 71 still open. April was the busiest month with 70 requests, while February had 40. Staff said the number of requests does not necessarily reflect the amount of staff work required to fulfill them.

Staff Says Some Requests Hit Multiple Departments

The presenter said one request can require records from multiple departments, which can increase the workload beyond the request count alone. Development Services, Public Works, IT, and Finance were identified as some of the busiest departments.

Cost Estimates Come Before Some Records Searches

Staff reviewed how the city issues cost estimates when a request is expected to exceed about $40 of staff time. Staff said those estimates follow the Texas Public Information Act and Attorney General cost rules and are provided before work is performed. Officials said final costs can change, and overcharges would be refunded if needed.