FOIA
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request
The Housing Authority of the City of Rock Hill recognizes the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (South Carolina Code 30-4-10) enacted by the South Carolina General Assembly, which gives every citizen the right to access government meetings, documents, and records. By standardizing the Housing Authority of the City of Rock Hill's procedures for processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and establishing reasonable fees for such requests, the Authority will ensure its compliance with FOIA and its intended goal of transparency of Housing Authority operations and policies.
All requests for information pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) must be made in writing and submitted in person or by mail, email, or fax to the Housing Authority of the City of Rock Hill. To ensure accuracy in the Authority's response, all requests should be as descriptive as possible. In accordance with FOIA, the Housing Authority of the City of Rock Hill must:
- for records less than 24 months old, notify the person making the request of the Housing Authority's determination as to the public availability of the requested public record1 within 10 working days (excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) and produce the requested information within 30 calendar days of the latter of either Housing Authority's notification as to the availability of the requested public record or the date an advance deposit is made if required by the Housing Authority.
- for records more than 24 months old, notify the person making the request of the Housing Authority's determination as to the public availability of the requested public record1 within 20 working days (excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) and produce the requested information within 35 calendar days of the latter of either Housing Authority's notification as to the availability of the requested public record or the date an advance deposit is made if required by the Housing Authority.
A written FOIA request is not required to obtain the following:
- Minutes of meetings for the past six months
- Nonexempt documents produced by the Housing Authority or its agents and distributed to or reviewed by members of the public body during a public meeting in the past six months
In order to assist citizens in making FOIA requests, the Housing Authority of the City of Rock Hill has developed the attached suggested FOIA Request Form at Exhibit A. This form is only intended to ease the process for citizens when making their written FOIA requests and is not a requirement by the Housing Authority to process any written requests it receives. Refer to Exhibit B below for the Fee Schedule outlining reasonable costs that may be incurred by the requesting party during the Housing Authority of the City of Rock Hill's FOIA request processing. If fees apply, up to a 25% deposit may be required prior to staff starting the research process.
Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 30-2-50, a person or private entity shall not knowingly obtain or use salary or personal information obtained from the Housing Authority for commercial solicitation.
[ 1] The determination is not required to include a final decision or express an opinion as to whether specific portions of the documents or information may be subject to redaction according to exemptions provided for by Section 30-4-40 or other state or federal laws
Any questions about the Housing Authority's FOIA policy should be directed to the Executive Director's Office at 803.324.3060 or email Dewayne Alford.
Exhibit "A"
Housing Authority of The City of Rock Hill
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request for Public Records
FOIA Request For Public Records Form
Exhibit "B"
Housing Authority of The City of Rock Hill
Public Records Request
Schedule of Fees
- Search/Retrieval Time: $15.00 per hour
- Black & White Copy Price per Page - Standard Letter Size (8 1/2" x 11): $.15
- Black & White Copy Price per Page - Standard Letter Size (8 1/2" x 14): $.15
- Color Copies: $.25
- Copy charges for oversized documents that must be outsourced for duplication/reproduction: Actual Cost
Note: Payment is required prior to or at the time of production of any requested records.