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<br />356 Colo.
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<br />826 PACIFIC REPORTER; 2d SERIES
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<br />presented by its applieation as one relating
<br />to the "Dl&llDer" of _ to public recorda
<br />which an eJeetronieaJly stored. We dis-
<br />agree. ,
<br />
<br />The corporation, argues that the only
<br />fcmn in which electrunicalJy stored public
<br />recorda can be made available for iDapee-
<br />lion is through the use of a computer,
<br />essentially beeause that is the fonnat in
<br />which the public recorda are kept. Henee,
<br />it maintains that, the department regula-
<br />lions, which explicitly bar public WIll of the
<br />treasurer's office computer terminals, oper-
<br />ate to d8nIl, rather than regulate, access to
<br />such public recorda. "
<br />
<br />Since the euaetment of the Open Recorda
<br />Act in 1968, no Colorado case has specifi-
<br />eaJIy addressed the nature of the right to
<br />inspect public recorda which are, as here,
<br />aImoet exclusively maintained and stored
<br />electronically on magnetic computer tapes.
<br />A number of fedetal and state courts, how-
<br />ever, have addressed this issue" and we
<br />conclude that two eases. Dimauka lI. De-
<br />paTt1Mftt of InUriDr, 603 F .supp. 760
<br />(D.D.C-1984) and AFSCME lI. County of
<br />Cook, 136 IIl.2d 334, 144 m.Dec. 242, 555
<br />N.E.2d 361 (1990), frame the issue raised
<br />by the corporation's first contention of er-
<br />ror.
<br />
<br />In Dimauku, the plaintiff sought a copy
<br />of the Department of Interior's computer
<br />tape but receiv~, iDatead, the same infor-
<br />mation on microfiche, the form in which the
<br />requested infonnation Was routinely made
<br />available to, the public. In.sanctioning the
<br />department's substitution in format, the,
<br />court noted that the fundamental objective
<br />of the Freedom of Infonnation Act, 5
<br />U.S.C.A. I' 552 (1977), is to iDauie public
<br />accessibility to the infornu.tiim4l content
<br />of the public record. Thwi, the public may
<br />not dictate the fonnat in which the infor-
<br />mation wJ1l be provided.' Moreover, the
<br />government agency, in discharging ita obli-
<br />gation under the act,' :"need only proVide
<br />responsive ... information in' a reasOnably
<br />accessible form" which does not alter the
<br />content ,of the information. Dimauka lI.
<br />DepaTt1Mftt of Interior, IUpro. SU alia
<br />Sttigls lI. Barry" 422 So.2d 63 (FIa.App-
<br />1982). :',,"
<br />
<br />In contrast, the Illinois Supreme CoUli
<br />in AFSCME, IUpnI, revensed a ruling .
<br />the appellate court which had approved th
<br />eounty's presentation of public inforinatio
<br />, to plaintiffs in the form of a compute
<br />print-out, rather than ,in the form of
<br />computer tape, as requested. The COUl
<br />construed the Illinois Freedom of Infonm
<br />tion Act (Illinois Act) to emphasize publi
<br />7'U01Ti8, not simply their informational COt
<br />tent. Thus, the court held ,that requeste
<br />information must be made available "in th
<br />form in which it is normally kept."
<br />Neither of these cases is, of course er
<br />tirely 'analogous to' the situation pres:nte,
<br />here in which the corporation does not see:
<br />a coW of the computer tape but' dire<:
<br />access to the original magnetic datab...
<br />However, these cases J1Iustrate that th
<br />issue here turnS on whether the basic 'pW
<br />pose of the Open Recorda Act is 'one 0
<br />public accessibility to the inf0rm4tiona
<br />content of public recorda or is, instead, on
<br />of access to the public TtICOf'fU in the fon
<br />in which they are nonnally kept.
<br />Citing If 24-72-201 :md 24-72-20~
<br />C.R.S.. (1988 Repl VoI.10B); the corpol'll
<br />tion relies on the general assembly's use 0
<br />the terms "inspect" and "public recorda" ~
<br />assert that the latter articulates the pUt
<br />pose of the Open Recorda Act. For th,
<br />following reasons, we disagree.
<br />First, the Open Recorda Act waSp..sse,
<br />following a year-long study by' a specia
<br />committee of the Colorado Legislativ,
<br />Council, A review of this committee's re
<br />port indicates that the committee's concerl
<br />was public access to public inf0rm4oon
<br />Colorado Legislative Council, Researcl
<br />Publ. . # 126, Open RcCOf'fU for CQlorad,
<br />(1967). Indeed, the committee repeatedl~
<br />referred to public information and, in ill
<br />initial finding and conclusion, stated that
<br />"[I]J;>creased awareness on the part of ,..,
<br />the public has led to greater emphasis or
<br />the need for statutory guarantees of pub
<br />lit: GCcess to 'public informati07L" (em
<br />phasis added) , "
<br />. - ... .j"";.":
<br />Second, f 24-7Z-201and f 24--7Z-20:
<br />specifically qualify the right to inspect pub
<br />lie recorda. : Section 24-7Z-201, which setl
<br />forth the policy of the Open Recorda" Act
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