Public Records Request

Public Records Law Resources & Useful Information

General information about the public records law and public records requests is found in the Secretary of the Commonwealth's, "A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law," January 2017 edition, found online at:

A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law

What is a public record?

Definitions & Guidelines

For more information on the Massachusetts Public Records Law, please read: G.L. c. 66 - Public Records Law

Fees
Empty heading

Categories of permissible charges that include, but are not limited to:

• five cents ($0.05) per page of black and white printouts or copies;
• actual cost for storage devices or materials such as CDs or thumb/flash drives;
• actual cost for duplication of records not susceptible to ordinary means of reproduction, such as color copies and large format plans;
• postage fees (least expensive form of mailing possible, unless the requester requests, and agrees to pay for, an expedited form of mailing and such fees are paid in advance);
• fees for employee time required to satisfy a public records request. There shall be no fee for the employee time required to satisfy a public records request for the first two (2) hours of work performed. After the first two hours, a fee may be charged for employee time necessary to identify, locate, and compile the records requested. The hourly rate for such fees should be the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee capable of performing the task, provided, however, that this hourly rate shall not exceed $25.00 per hour. In certain circumstances, the Town may petition the Supervisor of Public Records for permission to assess fees for employee time at a rate in excess of $25.00.

No copying fee will be charged for records provided in electronic form.

Exemptions

Exemptions/Redactions/Withholding. Some public records, or portions of records, may not be provided in response to a public records request because the Town has determined such records to be exempt from disclosure pursuant to the provisions of G.L.c.4 §7(26), the attorney-client privilege, or other applicable exemptions or common law privileges.

Appeals

If a requester wishes to assert a claim that they have been denied access to public records, they may appeal the RAO's determination to the Supervisor of Records pursuant 950 CMR 32.08(1). The Supervisor shall make a final determination on the appeal within ten (10) business days of receipt. If the requester is dissatisfied with the determination of the Supervisor of Records, the requester may appeal to Superior Court.

The public records maintained by the Town include, but are not limited to: 

• Airport: Leases, meetings minutes, bid results, submitted bid proposals, RFP/IFB planholders list, construction projects, certified payroll reports, security videos.
• Health Department: Septic permits, well permits, title V reports, correspondence, business inspections.
• Natural Resources: Conservation Commission filings, commercial scallop licensing, aquaculture lease, water quality data, fertilizer license holders.
• Planning & Land Use Service (PLUS): Building permits, site plans, plot plans, architect plans, electrical permits, plumbing permits, HDC certifications, variance requests, special permits.
• Public Works: Excavation licenses, permits - Curb Cut, Road Opening, orders.
• Registry of Deeds: Various property records including deeds, mortgages, easements and plans.
• Sewer Department: Sewer permits and permitting records, Town sewer maps, sewer plans, and sewer as-builts, wastewater infrastructure plans, sewer project records, state reporting records, work order records, procurement/contract records, payables, receivables.
• Town Clerk: Annual Town reports, births certificates, deaths certificates, marriages certificates, boards and committees meetings minutes, Town election minutes, Town meeting records, articles, and warrants, register of votes, list of voters and poll tax books, plans, maps, and street lists.
• Police Department: Police reports, arrest reports, MV crash reports.
• Nantucket Public Schools: School Committee agendas and minutes, School Committee policies, School Committee self evaluations, School budgets, budget directives, District goals, School administrative and staff salary information, strategic plan.