that time, the Village Manager or Assistant Village Manager will determine if the Administration department will respond to the non-routine media inquiry or he/she may delegate the authority to an employee or volunteer to respond to the media request. The employee or volunteer who has been granted authority to respond to non-routine media inquiries is required to brief the Village Manager or Assistant Village Manager and their Department Head immediately after the response. In emergency situations where the safety and welfare of the public are in imminent danger, public safety employees are authorized to interact with the media in accordance with the Village’s Emergency Operations Plan and should notify the Administration Department of the interaction as soon as possible. Village employees and volunteers should only discuss topics with media representatives for which they have been given direct authority under the terms of this policy. When communicating with the media, employees and volunteers are reminded they are acting on behalf of the Village and should conduct themselves professionally. In addition, employees and volunteers should avoid editorializing as much as possible and present factual information. C. Public Information Requests Periodically, the Village receives formal requests for copies of documents related to a specific topic, subject or issue. With very few exceptions, all records, including emails, are a matter of public record as defined by NCGS 132-1 through 132-10. Public records include all documents, papers, letters, books, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic records, artifacts, or other documentary material, regardless of form or characteristics, made or received pursuant in connection with the transaction of public business. All requests for public information should be submitted on the “Public Records Request Form”. No form is required for routine public safety incident related reports and intergovernmental requests. If the requestor is unable or unwilling to complete the required form, the employee receiving the request should make every effort to complete the form to the best of their ability. Public information requests may involve routine documents, non-routine documents, or documents deemed to be significant. Any public records requests for employee information should be referred to the Human Resources Director, who will respond to the request. Routine documents –These are typically documents that are normal to the operation of the department and may include copies in total, or in part, of any Village printed or published document, such as the budget, solid waste flyers, brochures, the PDO, public safety reports, Village or departmental policies. Routine documents may be distributed by the department without prior approval of the Village Manager or an Assistant Village Manager. Non-routine documents – These are typically related to sensitive or controversial issues or an issue that has the potential to become controversial. Examples include the accumulation of financial records, personnel records, etc. Non-routine documents may
Village of Pinehurst – External Communications Policy
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