The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) outlines a procedure for accessing general municipal records. The Act aims to foster an open and accountable government by making as much information available to the public as possible, while also safeguarding personal privacy. Requests made under this Act are often referred to as FOI (Freedom of Information) Requests.
The legislation provides the parameters for access to information held by Peterborough County and the rules for protecting the personal privacy of individuals whose personal information is held by the County.
Peterborough County provides public access to certain municipal records without requiring a FOI request. Policy CORP-23 - Routine Disclosure/Active Dissemination Policy establishes the framework for providing public records and information while meeting the requirements and abiding by the exemptions of MFIPPA.
To find out if the records you need are available without making a FOI request, reach out to the department responsible for those records. County staff will then assess whether:
the records can be supplied to you directly through an informal process
the request should be a formal FOI request
the records can be supplied to you through their department's routine disclosure practice (fees may apply)
Rules governing access and release of information are outlined within MFIPPA and apply to both formal and informal requests.
You may be able to request the following records without a formal FOI request (exceptions may apply):
County Council and Committee reports, agendas, minutes, by-laws, and policies
Your own severance application records
Your own personal health information relating to your involvement with Peterborough County/City Paramedics
Your own Human Resources information (if you are or were an employee of Peterborough County)
Historic or archived records from pre-amalgamation of Townships
Documents required to be publicly available under various laws
Commonly Requested Records Requiring an FOI Request
The following types or records are commonly requested by a formal FOI Request:
Public Works records regarding maintenance of roads
Please read the following carefully before completing the application form:
All formal FOI requests must:
be made in writing on the Freedom of Information Access Request Form containing:
a clear description of the records requested (Note: to avoid clarifications, we recommend making a numbered list of requested records instead of a list of questions)
a time frame the records may be from
your contact information
include the $5.00 application fee (payable by cheque via mail, or made in person by cash, debit, or credit)
additional fees will apply if records are found ($30/hour for search, $30/hour for preparation/redaction, and $0.20 per page)
No search or preparation fees will be charged for requests of your own personal information
If fees are anticipated to exceed $100, you will receive a fee estimate and be requested to supply a 50% deposit before the search for records begins
include the following additional information if you are acting as a legal professional on behalf of a client:
a signed letter of consent to act on his/her behalf; and
a photocopy of a piece of your clients identification with a signature (such as a driver's licence) for verification purposes
The County Clerk's Office will process the request by following the regulations in MFIPPA. Please note that the legislated timeframe does not begin until the application is complete which includes the receipt of the $5.00 fee.
Normally requests are processed within 30 days, however, extensions may be requested due to the volume of records. The 30 day time line does not apply if records contain third party information.
If you have questions about the formal FOI process, feel free to contact the City Clerk's Office by email, or call 705-3743-0380 ext.
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