Public information can cost a lot in Centennial.
The mayor says the city is justified in charging $2,000 for a year’s worth of e-mails from its embattled city treasurer.
But governments should be open for public review, and charging large amounts for records ensures that the average person will not do it, critics say.
“How public is this public record if you have to have $2,000 to get it?” said Jenny Flanagan, executive director of Colorado Common Cause. “It’s unreasonable. Maybe this whole process needs to be re-evaluated.”
The city contracts its information technology services to a private company, which said it would probably charge The Denver Post $2,000 to see all of Treasurer Doug Milliken’s e-mails since January.
Centennial Mayor Randy Pye sees a benefit in the high price. The cost also works to keep those away who would take advantage of the system, Pye said, people asking for massive amounts of information just for the sake of asking.
“I think it’s reasonable,” Pye said. “The only thing I am trying to do is protect my citizens so they don’t get hung up with a request from a media outlet or individual who comes in every two or three weeks asking for information. That can get costly.”
According to Colorado’s law on public records, the public is entitled to see most any record, including e-mails, that are made or maintained or kept by any public entity in carrying out that city’s or government’s duties.
But Ed Otte, executive director of the Colorado Press Association, told The Associated Press last year that results of an AP survey showed that obtaining records can be a discouraging process to many.
“In some situations where there are obstacles to getting copies of records, or the fees seem unusually high, that can serve as a deterrent,” he said.
Because Centennial contracts its information technology services to a private company, that company can charge whatever it deems appropriate. In this case, CH2M Hill Inc. said it would charge about $2,000 – $125 an hour for each of the 12 months, plus other possible charges.
City officials say when Centennial came into existence five years ago, they decided to contract out most services to keep costs low. Police and fire services were contracted out to Arapahoe County. Public works is subbed out too. Even the entire land department is handled by a private company. The same holds true for information technology, including the city’s computer system.
The Denver Post asked for the e-mails after it was learned that Milliken, who is leaving the city and taking the treasurer position in Arapahoe County this month, has had problems handling his personal finances.
Milliken had a bankruptcy in 1993 for credit card debt of more than $90,000 and also had foreclosure proceedings started on his home on the day before the Nov. 7 election, although he recently made restitution and is out from under foreclosure.
A few years ago, some city officials questioned his skills to handle Centennial’s finances and Milliken was stripped of some of his responsibilities.
Centennial officials say they were merely charging the amount their private company charges to retrieve his e-mails. The city did say it would waive its own charges, although officials did not elaborate what those were.
“When you call up and say, ‘I want to see all e-mails for the last year,’ somebody has to gather that up all together,” city spokeswoman Nancy Reubert said.
At least if you have the money, you can get a year’s worth of e-mails in Centennial. Other cities, such as Lakewood, keep e-mails for a short period of time. Lakewood spokeswoman Stacie Oulton wasn’t sure how long the city keeps e-mails but said it could be weeks or even just days.
Staff writer Carlos Illescas can be reached at 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com.
