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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-05-2010 - 4cORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 5, 2010 Action Agenda Item No. 4 - C SUBJECT: Proposed Change in Cop Fees for the Register of Deeds Office DEPARTMENT: Register of Deeds Office PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Financial Services ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Brooks, Register of Deeds, 245-2679 Clarence Grier, Financial Services Director, 245-2453 PURPOSE: To consider a change in the fees charged for copies in the Register of Deeds Office. BACKGROUND: Currently the Register of Deeds Office has set fees for copies provided to the public. The computerized process compiles all printed output and charges fixed amounts. For Land and Vital Records information, the copy fee is $0.25 per page. For a complete Parcel Identification Number (PIN) report, regardless of the number of pages contained in the report, the system charges $0.25 total. With the implementation of the Property Information Management System (PIMS), the fee for all copies would increase to $0.25 per page -more than the actual cost to provide the copies. It would also result in a significant change for the Office's "regular" customers who print PIN reports that are 1-50 pages at length. Based on the actual cost to the County, the Register of Deeds Office proposes to set a new fee for all copies at $0.15 per page. North Carolina General Statute 132-6.2. b states: (b) Persons requesting copies of public records may request that the copies be certified or uncertified. The fees for certifying copies of public records shall be as provided by law. Except as otherwise provided by law, no public agency shall charge a fee for an uncertified copy of a public record that exceeds the actual cost to the public agency of making the copy. For purposes of this subsection, "actual cost" is limited to direct, chargeable costs related to the reproduction of a public record as determined by generally accepted accounting principles and does not include costs that would have been incurred by the public agency if a request to reproduce a public record had not been made. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, if the request is such as to require extensive use of information technology resources or extensive clerical or supervisory assistance by personnel of the agency involved, or if producing the record in the medium requested results in a greater use of information technology resources than that established by the agency for reproduction of the volume of information requested, then the agency may charge, in addition to the actual cost of duplication, a special service charge, which shall be reasonable and shall be based on the actual cost incurred for such extensive use of information technology resources or the labor costs of the personnel providing the services, or for a greater use of information technology resources that is actually incurred by the agency or attributable to the agency. If anyone requesting public information from any public agency is charged a fee that the requester believes to be unfair or unreasonable, the requester may ask the State Chief Information Officer or his designee to mediate the dispute. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Under the current fee structure, there are two different costs for copies - one for Land and Vital Records and one for Parcel Identification Number (PIN) reports, with the cost of PIN report being $0.25 total regardless of the number of pages. With the new Property Information Management System (PIMS), the new copy fee is proposed as $0.15 per page, consistent with the County's actual cost. Based on cost analysis in the future, this fee could be adjusted annually. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the new copy fee of $0.15 per page for all copies provided by the Register of Deeds Office.