Access to Information

We are committed to supporting your right to access information held in our custody and control. We are required to ensure the protection of personal information in accordance with legislative requirements.

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) allows you the right to access information held by us, with some specific exceptions.

The FOIP Act provides that requestors have:

The right to request access to information held by the Town;
The right to access personal information about themselves held by the Town;
The right to request correction to their personal information held by the Town;
Controls on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, by the Town and
The right to request independent review of decisions made under FOIP.

Routine disclosure requests

Most information held by us is available on our website or by contacting the division or department directly responsible for the information you wish to request.

We will make every effort to process your request in a timely manner. If your routine disclosure request is denied, you may submit a formal Access to Information Request to the Information Management/FOIP Coordinator or in-person at St. Germain Place (Civic Hall) 10125 100 Avenue, Morinville, Alberta, T8R 1L6.

Access to Information requests

An Access to Information Request is required to access recorded information that is not routinely available. This includes accessing and/or correcting your own personal information.

There are two types of FOIP requests:

Personal Information Requests
- Occur when an individual requests access to personal information about themselves. A typical example is a person requesting access to their own records of employment with the Town.
General Information Requests
- Occur when an individual or corporate entity requests access to general information about something. Typical examples include an insurance company requesting access to a fire investigation report, a member of the public requesting access to information related to a bylaw enforcement matter, a member of the public or homeowner requesting information on a property, or an interest group requesting access to information about expenditures.

We have 30-days to respond to FOIP requests. This timeframe may be extended in certain circumstances.

Details to include in an Access to Information Request

Include a description of the records you are seeking. Be as specific as possible with dates or date ranges and detailed subject matter including the responsible department/division (if known).
If you are requesting access to your personal information, identify the record containing the personal information (if known).
If you are requesting access to another individual's personal information, you must provide written consent from the individual.
If you are requesting the correction of your personal information, indicate the desired correction and if appropriate, attach any supporting documentation.
Your preferred method of viewing the records; by email, mail or in-person.
Your contact information, including email address or telephone number.
Your name, street address, city or town, province or territory and postal code.
Remember to include the date of your request.

Fill out the Access to Information Request form with these details, submit your request to the Information Management/FOIP Coordinator at 10125 100 Avenue, Morinville, T8R 1L6. A staff member will be in touch to collect the mandatory $25 initial fee.

Fees

There is no initial fee associated with routine disclosure requests; however, the division director may apply fees for retrieval, reproduction, labour and shipping. We will give you an estimate of these fees before moving forward with your request.

A $25 non-refundable initial fee is required when submitting a general Access to Information request. Depending on the nature of the request and the volume of records requested, additional fees may be charged. For more information, please refer to our Corporate and Financial Services Fee Policy.

Requests for information submitted will not be processed until payment is received.

Appeals

Appeals may be made to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC).

Accessing your personal information

Identification is required to access and review your personal information.

How do I correct my personal information?

We strive to keep personal information as accurate and up-to-date as is necessary for the purpose that it was collected. You have the right to request that any factual errors or omissions be corrected. Where appropriate, you may be asked for supporting documentation to back up your claim.

Complete and submit the Request to Correct Personal Information form to update your information.

Accessing video surveillance footage

Some town facilities have video surveillance cameras installed. When an incident occurs relating to criminal activity, contact Enforcement Services or RCMP who may then submit a request for video surveillance footage.

In the event of a safety concern, contact the Information Management/FOIP Coordinator or call 780-939-4361 to determine if a request to view video surveillance footage is applicable.

Depending on the nature of the request for video surveillance footage, an Access to Information Request form (FOIP request) may also be required.

How we collect and use your information

We strive to collect only personal information that is relevant and necessary for a particular purpose or to perform job duties.
We will make personal information available internally and externally only in appropriate circumstances or when consent is given and received in writing.
We ensure to maintain collected personal information in a secure manner.