[Adopted 1-15-2008 by P08-02]
This Policy establishes procedures for the coordination of promotional
or educational events and programs by County offices to ensure successful,
well-planned opportunities for citizen interaction and public awareness.]
A.Â
Whenever a County-sponsored event such as an open house, ribbon cutting,
festival, or similar program is under consideration, approval must
be requested in advance from the County Administrator. If approval
is granted, the Public Information Officer shall have overall responsibility
for coordinating publicity, media relations, and Levy Court Commissioner
participation. The Public Information Officer shall serve as a member
of all such event/program planning committees.
B.Â
Whenever an outside agency or organization proposes an event or program
involving County-owned facilities or County personnel, such requests
shall be directed to the County Administrator for authorization. In
evaluating the nature of the event and the extent of anticipated public
involvement, the County Administrator may forward the proposal to
the leadership Levy Court for review and consultation before deciding
whether or not to authorize the use of County-owned facilities and/or
County personnel for such purpose. If requested by the approved sponsoring
organization, the Public Information Officer will coordinate any Levy
Court Commissioner participation. Participation by Department of Public
Safety staff in various public events will be coordinated through
the Director, after review and approval by the County Administrator.
C.Â
Approved public events or programs sponsored by outside agencies
or organizations at County-owned facilities shall, at a minimum, provide
proof of insurance coverage and an event safety/security plan as determined
by the County's Risk Manager (Personnel Director). Events or
programs requiring participation by County employees may be assessed
a service fee or fees to reimburse anticipated costs as determined
by the County Administrator.
D.Â
The Public Information Officer shall develop appropriate forms and
guidelines for the efficient administration of this Policy, subject
to approval by the County Administrator.
E.Â
This Policy shall become effective immediately upon adoption by Levy
Court.
[Adopted 1-15-2008 by P08-01]
This Policy establishes procedures for facilitating the flow
of timely and factual information between Kent County Levy Court,
the news media and the general public.
A.Â
Only elected County officials, appointed County Attorneys, the County
Administrator, Department/Office Directors, and the Public Information
Officer are authorized to speak on behalf of the County on subjects
related to their particular area of responsibility. Assistant Directors
must have prior authorization from their department head to speak
with a media representative. Nonauthorized employees must refer all
media personnel to the Public Information Officer.
B.Â
Employees shall promptly inform the Public Information Officer of
all media inquiries, requests, and interviews, and he/she shall have
responsibility for advising the County Administrator and Levy Court
Commissioners of said media contact. When possible, advance notice
should be provided to the Public Information Officer about prescheduled
interviews or videotaped features in order to provide County resource
coordination. Direct media requests for information outside one's
area of direct responsibility should be referred to the Public Information
Officer for a response.
C.Â
When speaking with the media, authorized persons should be prompt,
helpful and honest and avoid baseless speculations or gossip. It is
important to represent the County in a positive manner and avoid saying
"no comment" to reporter questions. Certain issues should not be discussed
with the news media, such as pending or actual litigation, personnel
matters, proposed or pending land acquisition, or disaster/state of
emergency situations, unless authorized to do so.
D.Â
During a disaster or any emergency declaration, all media requests
or contacts must be coordinated through the Public Information Officer
or other such person appointed by the President of Levy Court or County
Administrator. In such situations, it is essential that all information
be factually verified and properly disseminated by a single individual
or office.
E.Â
The Public Information Officer shall develop appropriate forms and
guidelines for the efficient administration of this Policy, subject
to approval by the County Administrator.
F.Â
This Policy shall become effective immediately upon adoption by Levy
Court.
[Adopted 9-16-2008 by P08-05, effective 9-16-2008]
This Policy establishes procedures for responding to requests
for information filed by the news media or the public under the Delaware
Freedom of Information Act.
A.Â
All County records shall be open to inspection and copying by any
individual or group of individuals during regular business hours,
except those documents specifically excluded by the Freedom of Information
Act. Excluded documents include employee records, criminal records,
collective bargaining records, documents related to pending or potential
litigation, documents related to pending or potential land/property
acquisition, executive session minutes, library user records, building
plans/blueprints for public buildings or utilities, plans for security/safety
components, any records identifying storage of chemicals or substances/pharmaceuticals,
and military records, and documents protected from disclosure by the
attorney-client privilege, other privileges or statutes, among others.
If it is unclear whether a document is a public record under state
law, please consult a supervisor, department head or the County Attorney.
B.Â
Whenever a County record is in use or in storage, an appointment
shall be arranged with the requestor as expeditiously as possible
to make the document(s) available for inspection and copying.
C.Â
Requests to inspect or copy easily accessible or routine information
or records such as building permits and applications, complaint documents,
electronic records, procedures, regulations, property records, etc.
which require a minimal amount of staff time to identify, locate,
compile, and copy shall be promptly fulfilled.
D.Â
For more complex information requests requiring considerable research,
numerous documents, legal review and/or numerous pages, it is the
County's stated goal to respond within seven working days. Such
requests must be in writing, and a copy shall be provided to the Public
Information Officer, who shall be responsible for coordinating a prompt
response by the County department/office. The County department/office
in possession of the requested information shall provide an estimate
of time required to gather the information and make copies (if copies
were requested) of such documents. County staff may contact the requester
to ascertain what specific information is sought, when requests are
broadly worded.
E.Â
When numerous pages (20 or more) of documents must be copied in order
to fulfill the information request, the Public Information Officer
may require a deposit equal to the production cost as determined by
the County's fee schedule. Upon receipt of the deposit, County
staff within the department/office where the information is located
shall promptly make the requested copies and submit the records to
the Public Information Officer for mailing or pick up by the requester
upon payment of any additional copying costs.
F.Â
Upon request, County records can be duplicated onto electronic media
at a flat rate as determined by the County's fee table, but no
less than $5.
G.Â
The Public Information Officer shall develop appropriate forms and
guidelines for the efficient administration of this Policy, subject
to approval by the County Administrator.
H.Â
This Policy shall become effective immediately upon adoption by Levy
Court.