Open Records

It is the policy of the City of Arkansas City that, unless prohibited by law, all public records maintained by the city shall be open for inspection by any person during regular business hours. The city is committed to transparency and accountability, and will make every reasonable effort to comply with the lawful requests for access to existing and available public records. To assist with this process, the City Clerk is as the official Records Custodian and Freedom Information Officer, has a prepared open records request form for this purpose, also listed in the supporting documents below. The completion of this form ensures accurate and timely processing of requests. For questions or concerns, please contact City Clerk Tiffany Parsons at (620) 441-4412 or tparsons@arkansascityks.gov. 

Please note that certain records fall under the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA), but not all of these records are open to the public. Some records may be closed or restricted under KORA and other applicable laws (such as HIPPA for medical information) and must be requested in writing directly to the department they are on file with. 

Court

To request dispositions on court charges or information on formal criminal charges, misdemeanor, traffic, or any other course case file information, you will need to directly contact either the Arkansas City Municpal Court municipalcourt@arkansascityks.gov (620) 441-4408 or Cowley County District Court (620) 441-4520 Cowley County, Kansas - Court FAQ in writing,. 

Police

Available accident reports, criminal history reports, or other police records are housed and requested directly from the Arkansas City Police Department, at 117 W. Central Ave., Requesting Records | Arkansas City Kansas, 620-441-6602. 

Fire and EMS

Fire and medical emergency incident reports, inspection reports, statistical data, or other fire-related inquiries are housed and requested directly to the Fire/EMS Department located, 115 S D St, Fire-EMS Department | Arkansas City Kansas, 620-441-4430. 

Request Procedure

1. Download and Complete the Request Form.  Obtain the open records request form from the appropriate source. Complete the form thoroughly, including as much specific information as possible related to your request, to help staff locate the records you are requesting.   

2. Submit Your Request. Once completed, submit the form using the instructions provided on the form. 

3. Response Time.  In accordance with the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA), a response will be provided within three (3) business days, excluding holidays, from the date the request is received. If additional time is needed to gather or review records, you will be notified accordingly. If a request is submitted and the responsible staff is unavailable, typically an out-of-office reply is set up if by email, the request will be acknowledged upon the receiving staff member's return. 

3. Fees and Payment.  Possible fees are outlined on the form and may include charges for research time and the cost of materials used to produce records, if applicable. Postage will be charged at the current market rate. The requester will be contacted and notified of any applicable fees before the requested documents are released. Payment must be received before the release of any records.