Sacramento County CPRA policy and CPRA training powerpoint

If you are requesting records from the County of Sacramento under the California Public Records Act ("CPRA"), it can be helpful to know the County's policy and approach to responding to CPRA requests. Below find links to the County of Sacramento's CPRA policy, as well as a County CPRA training powerpoint presentation.

The policy is titled "Guidelines to the California Public Records Act." (click on the title to access the policy – it will open in a new window.) 

The policy includes guidance to County agencies in responding to CPRA requests and provides a few template PRA responses. Notably, Sacramento County policy advises that County agencies should always contact County Counsel when denying a request or when responding to CPRA requests from attorneys or the media. Another notable portion of the policy is the section dealing with the investigatory records exemption in Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(f). The policy notes the broad scope of the exemption, but makes no mention that various information contained within investigatory records is non-exempt under § 6254(f)(1) and § 6254(f)(2) and must be disclosed.

The CPRA training powerpoint can be found here. (link will download the powerpoint.)

Whoever put this powerpoint together used lots of fun 90s style clip art. There are a few interesting substantive elements. For instance, slide 9 states that salaries are exempt from disclosure. The California Supreme Court held, to the contrary, that salaries of public employees are not exempt and generally must be disclosed. See International Federation of Processional Engineers v. Superior Court (2007) 42 Cal. 4th 319.

Regarding investigatory records, like the County's CPRA policy, the powerpoint fails the mention that certain information contained within otherwise exempt investigatory records must be disclosed pursuant to § 6254(f)(1)-(2). (See slide 10 of the powerpoint.)

Lastly, unlike the County's CPRA policy, the powerpoint directs County agencies to contact County Counsel when a request involves "controversial" or "sensitive" matters, but doesn't direct County agencies to contact County Counsel every time a CPRA request is denied. 

For more information on submitting a public records act request to Sacramento County under the CPRA, you can see the County's CPRA website here: http://www.saccounty.net/PRA/Pages/default.aspx (link opens in new window.) You can also submit a CPRA request via that website.