The City of Lake Stevens strives to provide its citizens with an effective and accountable municipal government. To reach this goal, the City is dedicated to providing citizens with access to public records in an efficient manner while still fulfilling legal requirements.

Once you have submitted your request, you will receive a response within five business days. If the public records you requested are readily available, you may receive the requested material at that time. If your request is more complex or possibly contains confidential information, you will be informed when your request will be available.  See RCW 42.56, Public Records Act.

Please email/call the appropriate office for questions only; submit requests for public records through the NextRequest Portal (link above).

What is the difference between public disclosure and public information?

Public Disclosure is the process of how the public may obtain public records created in the operation of city government. See Public Records Act (RCW 42.56).

Public Information is information requested that does not identify a specific public record but is simply just a question or request for more information.

Are public records requests confidential?

No. Once the City receives a public records request, the request itself becomes a public record of the City. Someone else may make a public records request for that document and we will provide it.

What public information is exempt from disclosure?

Each record must be reviewed to determine whether it is exempt from disclosure. Most exemptions are listed in RCW 42.56.230 - 42.56.480. However, certain state and federal statutes outside the Public Records Act also provide exemptions from disclosure or prohibitions on disclosure of particular records. When a city denies a request for disclosure of a public record, the specific statutory exemption on which the denial is based must be identified, along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies.

Resources
City of Lake Stevens Public Records Policy

RCW 42.56, Public Records Act