What a FOIA request is
FOIA stands for the Freedom of Information Act, the law that gives you the right to see the records your government keeps. In Pawnee, that covers council votes, building permits, budgets, meeting minutes, and most of the paperwork that moves through City Hall. A FOIA request is simply how you ask for one of those records.
For years, filing meant a trip downtown and a paper form. As of this year, you can do the whole thing online. This guide covers who can file, what you can ask for, and what happens once your request reaches the City Clerk's desk.
Who can file
Anyone can file a FOIA request. You do not have to be a Pawnee resident, a journalist, or a lawyer, and you do not have to say why you want the record. City Clerk Ethel Beavers, who has handled these requests for 32 years, puts it plainly: the record belongs to the public, so the public gets to see it.
There is no fee to file. If a request is very large and takes hours of staff time or a lot of copying, the city may charge a small amount for that work, but you will always hear about any cost before we begin.
What you can ask for
You can request almost any record the city creates or keeps: council minutes, a building permit, past budgets, contracts, inspection reports, or your own tax records. Describe what you want in plain language. You do not need to know which office holds it. The City Clerk's Office routes your request to the right department for you.
The more specific you are, the faster it goes. "The 2024 Parks Department budget" is easier to fill than "everything about parks." If you are not sure how to narrow it down, just ask, and the clerk's team will help you shape the request.
How to file through the portal
The new Pawnee FOIA portal lives at pawnee.gov/foia. IT Manager Dave Rutherford built it so you can file from your phone in about five minutes. Enter your email, choose the type of record, describe what you are looking for, and submit.
You will get a tracking number right away and email updates as your request moves along. There is no account to set up and no trip to City Hall.
What happens next
Once your request arrives, the clerk's team pulls the records from the archive, reviews them, and removes anything the law says cannot be released, such as personal details in a police report. Then they send the rest back to you, usually as PDFs by email.
Most straightforward requests are answered within five business days, a service standard the clerk's office adopted this year. Requests that span years of records, or that need careful redaction, take longer, and the clerk will keep you posted. The most common cause of delay is a request that is too broad, so a clear description up front saves everyone time.
Ready to file?
If there is a record you have been curious about, there is no reason to wait. Start your request at pawnee.gov/foia, and if you get stuck, Ethel and her team are a phone call away at (812) 555-0100.
