Richmond Hill's Town Clerk handles issues related to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Act deals with the security and privacy of records and providing access to information.
| Access to information |
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The Act has principles related to information access including:
- Information should be available to the public
- Individuals should have access to their own personal information
- Exemptions to access should be limited and specific
- Personal information about individuals collected by the municipality will be protected
- Disclosure of government information will be decided and reviewed by the Information and Privacy Commissioner
This makes it possible for you to access records managed by the municipality. It also protects private information.
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| Easier public access |
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Richmond Hill shares information with the public whenever possible. This means residents don't have to submit a request. Most routine disclosures include:
- Request for general records being granted inside or outside of the formal process
- A strategy for release of information or records without any request
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| Routine Disclosure of Records |
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Requests for the following records are to be made via the Town's Routine Disclosure Process Form.
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Type of Record
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Fees
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Estimated Service Time Frame
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Comments
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Building and Property Records including:
- Drawings and Plans
- Building Permits and Related Reports
- Occupancy Certificates
- Survey and Site Plans
- Drainage Information
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Regular Service: $50 + HST
Rush Service: $80 + HST
Fees include: up to 50 small pages (maximum 11" x 17" paper size) or five large format drawings/plans (larger than 11" x 17" paper size)
$10 for any additional pages larger than 11" x 17" in paper size
$0.59 for any additional pages up to a maximum of 11" x 17" in paper size
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Regular Service: 10-20 Business Days
Rush Service:
5-10 Business Days
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Records will be released to:
- The property owner or an authorized representative
- The director of the property management company that does property management for the property,
- Or anyone with the written consent of the owner.
- Site plans and surveys can be requested by anyone
No refunds are provided if no records are found
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Environmental Records which include all requests related to a property with respect to its usage and environmental topics such as:
- Discharge(s) of contaminants
- Orders
- Spills
- Waste disposal site
- Storm sewer use by-law infractions
- Cross connections and backups
- Spills and Clean-ups
- Site Inspections
- Abatement Issues
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$125 + HST per property / address
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20 business days
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Records will be released to anyone.
No refunds are provided if no records are found
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Fire Incident and Fire Investigation Reports
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Fire Incident Reports: $115 + HST
Fire Investigation Reports: $190 + HST
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Requests for Fire Incident and Fire Investigation Reports are handled by Richmond Hill Fire and Emergency Services directly.
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| Making a Freedom of Information Request |
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Follow these steps to make a Freedom of Information Request:
- Complete a Freedom of Information Request Form
- Prepare your $5 application fee by cheque or mail order payable to Richmond Hill (cash is accepted for in-person submissions, not by mail)
- Submit your request with the $5 application fee by mail or in-person to:
225 East Beaver Creek Road, Ground Floor
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4
- Your request and fee are received and verified by the Office of the Clerk
- Department staff are notified of your request
- Our Records Management section handles the request and information is sent to the Office of the Clerk for review to decide if any exemptions apply and that no confidential information is included
- You might receive a letter asking for more information or letting you know about fee estimates for your request, third party notices or time extensions
- Pay any additional fees required
- Once approved, the information you requested or a decision about the request is usually provided within 30 days
- If your request is rejected you can ask that the decision be reviewed by sending a letter to the Information and Privacy Commissioner at:
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8
| Additional fees |
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Extra services may be needed to complete your information request.
Additional fees for information request services:
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Service
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Fee
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Search time
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$30 per hour
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Records preparation time
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$30 per hour
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Copying of records
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$0.20 per page
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Computer programming
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$15 per 15 minutes
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Information on a CD
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$10 per CD
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| Exemptions |
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The Town Clerk can decide that a request is not appropriate. Mandatory exemptions and discretionary exemptions are also included in the Act.
| Mandatory exemptions |
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A government organization can refuse to give certain kinds of records. These are considered mandatory exemptions and include:
- Information received in confidence from other governments
- Third party information given in confidence or that will influence the third party's interests if shared
- Personal information about individuals other than the person requesting the information
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| Discretionary exemptions |
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Government organizations can also decide not to share certain kinds of information including:
- Drafts of by-laws, private bills
- Records of meetings that are authorized to be held without the public
- Advice or recommendations within the organization
- Law enforcement information
- Information that could influence the financial or other specified interests of the organization
- Information subject to solicitor-client privilege
- Information that could endanger the health or safety of an individual
- Information already available to the public or will soon be published
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| Additional information |
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Email us or call 905-771-8800 for more information.
Contact the department in charge of a particular area for questions about an information request you've made.
Information is available in alternative formats upon request.
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