Public Records Policy


Harlem Township has a public records policy adopted pursuant to O.R.C. § 149.43. Records and Public Records are defined respectively in R.C. §§ 149.011 (G) and 149.43 (A) (1)

With the exception of Personnel Records for current or past employees of the Township, requests for the inspection and or copies of public records shall be directed to the office or department that maintains the record. The township has established general Schedules for Record Retention and Disposition (RC-2) for the following:

  • Office of the Township Fiscal Officer
  • Administration
  • Fire/EMS Department
  • Zoning
  • Roads, Maintenance, and Cemetery

Harlem Township Public Records are available Monday through Friday during regular business hours, excluding legal holidays. For assistance in reviewing public records and/or obtaining copies of public records please contact the Harlem Township (740) 965-2661 x 3 or email: admin@harlemtwp.com to request records. 

No specific language is required to make a request for public records.  However, the requester must at least identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the office to identify, retrieve, and review the records. 

The requester must put a records request in writing on the Harlem Township Public Records Request Form for the requested public record(s). 

      1. Public records will be promptly prepared and made available in a reasonable period of time. Normally within 5 to 7 business days to process requests. If              you have questions regarding this process, call our office during business hours. 
  1. If the report or communication from the office has not been received within seven (7) business days, please call during normal office hours to confirm the request was received. 

If the requester makes an ambiguous or overly broad request or has difficulty in making a request such that the office cannot reasonably identify what public records are being requested, the request may be

denied, but the office must then provide the requester an opportunity to revise the request by informing the requester of the manner in which records are maintained and accessed by the office. 

If the office withholds, redacts, or otherwise denies requested records, it must provide an explanation, including legal authority, for the denial(s).  If the initial request was made in writing, the explanation must also be in writing.  If portions of a record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions may be redacted, and the rest must be released.  When making public records available for public inspection or copying, the office shall notify the requester of any redaction or make the redaction plainly visible. 

Fee schedule for records request(s).

  • Letter or Legal Sized Paper Copy (Single Side) Page (10) cents
  • Letter or Legal Sized Paper Copy (Double Side) Two-Sided Page (10) cents
  • Certified Paper Copy Page $2.00 + copy charge(s)
  • Electronic Documents of Various Forms charge for electronic files downloaded to a USB storage device is $10.00 or the current cost per device.
  1. The above fee schedule will be clearly posted and visible to the public.
  2. Full payment is required before any copies are released to the requester. A requester may be required to pay in advance for the actual costs involved in providing the record(s).
  3. As a result of security issues and to preserve the integrity of Harlem Township’s computer systems, the Board and/or Harlem Township will not accept blank media supplied by the requesting party. 
  4. The Board and/or Harlem Township shall notify the requesting party in advance in writing via email of any cost of labor or materials in situations where an outside vendor be hired to fulfill the request(s). 
  5. The Board and/or Harlem Township will charge the actual costs of postage and mailing supplies when requesting party requires the public records be transmitted via the United States Postal Service or any type of priority mail service. 

A copy of the most recent edition of the Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual is available via the Ohio Attorney General’s website (www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/YellowBook) for the purpose of keeping employees of the office and the public educated as to the office’s obligations under Ohio’s Public Records Act, Ohio’s Open Meetings Act, records retention laws, and the Personal Information Systems Act. 

All elected officials or their designees will attend the public records training approved by the Ohio Attorney General.

Adopted 2021

Revised: 8/16/2023 - RES. # 23-0816T-017