Public Records Request

Requesting Information

It is the policy of the City under its Public Records Policy to comply with the Ohio Public Records Act.  Records maintained by the City, and the ability to access them, is a means to provide trust between our citizens and the City.  In accordance with the Ohio Public Records Act and through the City’s Records Commission, the City maintains Records Retention Schedules that identify these records. Records that are not exempt from disclosure are available for inspection at no cost during regular business hours or copies will be provided within a reasonable period of time after submission of a public records request. The City is afforded a reasonable period of time to assemble and organize the records, and have an attorney review the records before they are released to ensure compliance with the request and the Ohio Public Records Act. If any requested records are exempt from disclosure, the records or parts thereof will be withheld or redacted, and the requester will be provided a statement of the legal basis for such action. You may submit your Request below:

Public Records Request Form
City of Beachwood
25325 Fairmount Boulevard
Beachwood, OH 44122
Phone: 216-595-5462
Fax : 216-595-5466

•  To view the City's Records Request Policy, click Public Records Policy (PDF)

Helpful tips for making a proper public records request: Although no specific language is required to make a request, you must at least identify the records requested with sufficient clarity and specificity to allow the City to identify, retrieve, and review the records.  The City has no obligation to create a record for a requester or honor a prospective request. Reviewing the City’s Records Retention Schedules may be of assistance to you.

May I make an anonymous request? Yes. A public records request does not need to be in writing or identify you.  However, the City must have a way of contacting you in order to fulfill the request.

Do I need to reveal the reason for my request? No. The Public Records Act neither requires you to specify the reason for the request nor use specific wording to make the request.

Is there a cost for Records?  Possibly.  There is no charge for records that are e-mailed or for paper copies totaling no more than nineteen (19) 8.5 x 11 sized pages.  For paper copies of twenty (20) pages or more, the City may charge five cents ($0.05) per page or at its discretion have made by an outside copying service and the party requesting such copies shall pay the actual costs charged by the copying service, including any pickup and delivery charges and any postage involved in providing the  records to the requester. The City may require the requester to pay these costs in advance of fulfilling the request.