Public Record Request

City Records Custodian
The City of Urbandale's Records Custodian is City Clerk, Nicole Lunders
Ph. 515-331-6702
3600 86th Street
Urbandale, IA 50322

All citizens of Urbandale are guaranteed access to public records pertaining to the operation and administration of the City under the Iowa Sunshine Law. Chapter 22.1 defines "public records" as:

"...all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software or other material, regardless of physical form, characteristics or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency, unless the Legislature has exempted them from disclosure."

How long will it take? 

Public agencies are to provide access to records as soon as they can, and most record requests are routine. Chapter 22.8(4) provides for a “good-faith, reasonable delay by a lawful custodian” in permitting examination of a record in some circumstances, including to determine whether the record is confidential. A custodian is allowed up to 20 calendar days to determine whether a confidential record should be released, but such delays should not ordinarily exceed 10 business days, according to the Iowa Code.

How do I make a request? 

The custodian cannot require the physical presence of the person requesting the public record. (2) In addition, a change in Chapter 22.3 in 2006 requires record custodians to respond to requests made in writing, by telephone or by electronic means. The spoken request is sufficient, so long as you reasonably identify the record sought. The scope of the request should be as specific as possible: to describe the information sought, to reduce the time to locate the record/s, and to reduce fees to fulfill the request.

City of Urbandale Record Request Form

Who do I make the Request to?

There is no central office that handles all records of the City. Each Department Director is the “lawful City custodian” of the records in their respective department. A request to examine or copy or receive a record should be sent to the City department where the record is kept. If the requestor does not know where the record is kept, the request should be sent to the City Clerk, who will forward the request to the appropriate City department to respond to the requestor.

Contact:

  • To obtain copies of any public record, contact the Appropriate City Department or City Clerk's Office at (515) 278-3900 

Charges:

Policy: