TestTEST

7:30 – 8:30

Conference Check-In

8:30 – 8:45

Welcome

Morgan Damerow will welcome conference attendees, go over conference logistics, the agenda, and any items needing special mention.

8:45 – 9:30

Freshman PRA 101 – The PRA’s Requirements in RCW 42.56.

An overview of Public Records Act’s history and structure followed by a detailed discussion of Title 42.56 RCW and an agency’s responsibilities in responding to requests under the RCW.

9:30 – 10:15

Sophomore PRA – PRA beyond RCW’s.

An examination of how Court decisions have furthered our understanding and shape an agency’s duties in searching for records, providing records and the factors applied by courts when assessing penalties against an agency.

10:15 – 10:30

Break

10:30 – 11:15

Junior PRA – 2018 and 2019 Case Law Update For Local Government Public Records Officers.

Learn about recent Public Records Act developments in the law. This session will cover recent court decisions, a legislative update and other developments in the law with respect to public agency records. Attendees (1) will learn about recent and pending developments in the law, in order to determine if any of their agency’s records procedures or other records processing steps or analysis should be updated, and thus (2) will help reduce their agency’s risk in processing PRA requests.

11:15 – 12:00

Senior PRA – Learn From the Experience of Others.

This panel will discuss the Public Records Act from the experienced public records officer’s perspective including the approach they take towards requests and requestors, why they keep coming back to work and lessons learned; sometimes the hard way.

12:00 – 1:30

Lunch on Your Own

1:30 – 4:25

Design Your Own Curriculum

Session 1 - 1:30 – 2:20

Session 2 - 2:30 – 3:20

Session 3 - 3:35 – 4:25

During the afternoon, conference participants will attend course offerings of their choosing to explore PRA issues their agency is facing or that will assist in responding to requests. Courses will be repeated during the afternoon based on the demand. The objective is to have smaller class sizes in order to foster participation and sharing between conference participants. When registering, registrants will choose three courses and an alternate from the list of Electives.

Electives are listed below

4:30 – 4:40

Commencement

1

FERPA and the PRA in School District Records

John Manix, Stevens Clay

Mr. Manix will discuss will discuss the requirements and interplay between the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Public Records Act and the challenges school districts face in providing access to records  while protecting student privacy.

2

Juvenile Records (confirmed)

Sara Di Vittorio, Snohomish County PUD

Ms. Di Vittorio will discuss juvenile law enforcement records (when the suspect, victim, or witness is a juvenile) and will discuss how to apply Chapter 13.50 RCW in the public disclosure context.

3

Law Enforcement Records

A panel of law enforcement records specialists will discuss recurring issues and recent developments in the production of law enforcement records including divers’ license information, body worn cameras, jail records, internal affairs investigations, and domestic violence records.

4

Medical Records

Jennifer Steele, Office of the Attorney General

A primer on the legal requirements for exempting the release of medical records and medical information in public records.

5

Personnel Records (confirmed)

Ohad Lowy, Office of the Attorney General

Personnel records are commonly sought through public disclosure requests. Mr. Lowy will examine disclosure issues and exemptions related to personnel records including requests for personnel files, performance evaluations, employment application materials, employee address and telephone numbers, dependent information and employee disciplinary investigations.

6

Records Management – Asset and Construction Records (confirmed)

Mr. Sackett and Ms. Rooney will discuss some of the most frequently asked questions relating to physical assets and Public Works construction records, including: when to use a financial management DAN vs. a construction/asset management DAN, when to use CORE vs. Sector Schedules, inspections/monitoring records, and major/minor maintenance records. Records

7

Records Management – Financial, Payroll and Personnel Records (confirmed)

Mr. Sackett and Ms. Rooney will discuss some of the most frequently asked questions relating to financial, payroll, and personnel records that local governments create and receive, including: retirement verification records, employee misconduct records (CORE vs. Sector Schedules), and records relating to bond, grant, and levy transactions.  

8

Records Management – School Districts (confirmed)

Scott Sacket & Molly Rooney, Washington State Archives

Mr. Sackett and Ms. Rooney will discuss some of the most frequently asked questions relating to school district records, including: Student Cumulative Folders vs. Official Student Records, Releases of Student Records (Prior Consent Required/Not Required), and Special Education Student History Files.

9

Tracking PRA Requests and Processing Records

Kathy Bodnar, Office of the Attorney General

Ms. Bodnar will discuss the elements of a repeatable defensible records production process including documenting and tracking requests, communications with requestors, planning for and documenting record searches, identifying and documenting redactions, records production and the use of technology tools.

10

PUD Records Issues

Tara Maynad, Grays Harbor PUD & Terri Cole, Benton County PUD

Ms. Maynard and Ms. Cole will discuss the unique records maintained by PUD’s, common records requests and exemptions applicable to PUD records. 

11

A Case Study in Records Management.

Kristen French, Mason County PUD 3

Lynnwood Conference Only

Ms. French will discuss Mason County PUD 3 assessment of its historic records management practices, analyzed its current business operations and work flow, and initiated implementation a new records management strategy for paper and electronic records.