All requests for public documents pursuant to FOIA, except for those described below, must be made in writing and submitted either (i) in person at the Elgin Town Hall,2469 Main Street, Elgin, SC 29045; (ii) by mail to Town of Elgin, Attn: Town Clerk, 2469 Main Street P.O. Box 277 Elgin, SC 29045; or (iii) by electronic mail.  Ideally, requests will be made using the FOIA Request Form (the “Request Form”) provided by the Town and made available to the public, a copy of which is attached hereto.  Requests made by letter or in some other written form should contain substantially the same information provided for on the Request Form.  Requests should not be submitted by fax.  In order to ensure the most accurate and prompt response, requests should be as detailed, specific, and descriptive as possible.  With the exception of the records detailed below, a minimum charge of $15.00 is applied to all FOIA requests to compensate for the cost of the staff time and materials necessary to respond to the request.

Requests to inspect the following public records need not be in writing provided the requestor appears at the appropriate Town office in-person and within normal Town Hall business hours:

1. Minutes of all public meetings of the Town of Elgin for the preceding (6) six months; and
2. Reports from the preceding fourteen (14) days  which disclose the nature, substance, and location of any crime or alleged crime reported as having been committed (with the exception of records regarding juveniles); and
3. Documents identifying persons confined in any jail, detention center, or prison for the preceding (3) three months (with the exception of records regarding juveniles); and
4. Documents produced by the Town or its agent that were distributed to or reviewed by a member of the public body during a public meeting for the preceding (6) six months.

Where any Town employee receives any written request for public records, the request should immediately be stamped with the date of receipt and delivered to the Town Clerk.  The Town Clerk should evaluate FOIA requests based upon the statutory requirements of FOIA with regards to any applicable exemptions, federal restrictions on disclosure, or limitations on the commercial use of data.  However, the presumption in evaluating FOIA requests should be in favor of disclosing the requested records.  Where an exemption to FOIA could possibly permit the Town Clerk to decide not to disclose the requested records, the Town Clerk should consult with the Town Council and Town Attorney to determine if the exemption applies and whether the Town should decline to disclose the records based upon the exemption.