Access to Information (ATIA) and Privacy (POPA) Requests

General Information Access

Lacombe County aims to be as transparent as possible regarding the information it holds, and as such, routinely discloses information deemed to be of public interest through various means, including:

• Publishing information to the County's website;
• Publishing information in the County News newspaper;
• Publishing information through the County's social media accounts (including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram); and,
• Processing informal information requests received in-person, by telephone, through mail, or by email.

Lacombe County encourages information access requests be processed through the above means when possible and makes every effort to ensure the pro-active release and dissemination of information, minimizing the need to request information through the formal ATIA request process.

Personal Information Access

If you are requesting personal information, either for yourself or for a person you are authorized to represent, your identity will need to be authenticated (i.e., the County will need to confirm that you are who you say you are, and that you have a right to access the records requested).

The County has a formal and documented process for authenticating identity for release of information. In summary, the authentication process requires the County to collect identifying information about you to match with the information we hold on file, this enables staff to confirm that you are who you say you are, and that you have a right of access to the personal information requested.

PLEASE NOTE: Depending on the context of the request, fees may be required for processing informal information requests.

Before submitting an ATIA request, you are encouraged to contact the County to ensure the information you seek is not available through informal access channels, as noted above.

It is also important to identify the correct public body to request records from before submitting the request. An ATIA request should be submitted to the public body responsible for maintaining the information you seek, as transferring your request will cause unnecessary processing delays.

If you are not sure if Lacombe County has the information you need, contact the County to confirm whether the information you seek is available within the County's record holdings. If the County does not have the information you seek, they may be able to refer you to the correct organization.

If you determine the need to proceed with a formal ATIA request, you will need complete an Access to Information Request Form and submit it by physical mail or fax to the address or fax number provided on the County's website contact page, or by email.

You will also need to know if you are submitting a personal access request, or a general access request. The information provided below will help you determine the type of request you need to submit, as well as highlight the basic fee requirements associated with each request type:

Personal Access Requests

A Personal Access Request is a request for access to records that contain personal information about yourself, or about an individual you are authorized to represent.

When your own personal information is requested, your identity must be authenticated before any requested records are disclosed. If information is requested on behalf of another individual, you must provide proof of your authorization to represent the individual before any records will be disclosed.

There is no fee for requesting personal information unless the cost of producing copies exceeds $10.

General Access Requests

A General Access Request is a request for access to records that are not the personal information of the applicant. A general access request requires payment of a $25 application fee, and processing of the request will not begin until the application fee is received.

Additional fees may also be required for a general access request if the total fee for completing the request is estimated to be greater than $150, in which case the applicant will be notified and asked to pay a 50% deposit prior to processing.

When the request is completed the applicant will be notified of the total costs for processing and will be required to pay any balance due before the requested records are disclosed.

Completing the Request to Access Information Form

Detailed instructions on how to complete the Access to Information Request Form are provided within form. In summary, you will need to:

• Provide your name, address, and a telephone number where you can be contacted in case there are any questions about the request;
• Specify whether it is a personal information request, or a general information request;
• Be as specific as possible when describing the records you want to access (e.g. provide sufficient detail as to the subject of the request; include names of all known parties involved; provide date(s) (or date ranges) of records requested);
• If the request is for general information (not your own personal information), include the $25 request fee. This fee must be paid before the request will be processed;
• If you are requesting your own personal information, or personal information of an individual you are authorized to represent, be sure to provide the full name of the individual, as well as any alternate names that have been used in the past (e.g. maiden names, nicknames, aliases);
• Sign and date the form;
• Submit the completed form to the County for processing.

The fees and response timelines associated with ATIA requests are established in Alberta's Access to Information Act Regulation.

When to Expect a Response to an ATIA Request

The County is required to respond to an ATIA request within 30 calendar days of receiving the request, however efforts will be made to respond to the request as soon as possible.

The 30-day deadline may be approved for extension if, for example, a large volume of information is required, or if third party consultation is required prior to processing the request.

PLEASE NOTE: a request is deemed to be received on the first business day after the request was submitted, however a “general information” request is not deemed to be received until the $25 request fee has been paid.

What to Expect in Response to an ATIA Request

In response to an ATIA request you will either receive the information you requested or receive an explanation as to why the information is not being disclosed. You may also receive severed documents where information has been redacted to allow disclosure of the remaining information, in this case details on the redacted information will also be provided.

There are two means in place to request correction of personal information held by Lacombe County, these include routine and formal change requests. The processes for each are outlined below:

Routine Changes or Corrections to Personal Information

Routine changes or corrections to personal information (such as a new address or phone number, or a change of name) do not require a formal correction request to be submitted under the POPA and ATIA Acts, simply contact the County to inform of the change or correction.

PLEASE NOTE: depending on the change requested, there may be a process in place requiring written confirmation of the change (e.g. change of address form).

Formal Requests for Correction of Personal Information

Under the POPA Act, a formal request for correction of personal information can be submitted if you believe personal information the County holds about you, or about an individual you are authorized to represent, is false or misleading. You can formally request correction of personal information by submitting a Request to Correct Personal Information Form to the County.

In the event the County agrees with the request for correction, the information will be corrected.

In the event the County does not agree with the request for correction, the information will not be corrected, however the request for change will be documented on your file, as required by the Act.

Completing the Request to Correct Personal Information Form

• Detailed instructions on how to complete the Request to Correct Personal Information Form are provided within form. In summary, you will need to:
• Provide your name, address, and a telephone number where you can be contacted in case there are any questions about the request;
• Identify the information you believe is incorrect and provide the correction. This information must be as specific as possible;
• Sign and date the form;
• Send the completed request form to the County.

What to Expect in Response to a Request to Correct Personal Information

In response to a request for correction of personal information you will either receive confirmation that the correction was made, or you will be advised that the record was not corrected, but was annotated.

If you submit an ATIA request and disagree with the response received from Lacombe County, or if you have a complaint regarding the County's information management practices, you may request a review or file a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC). If requesting a review, the request must be submitted to the OIPC within 60 days of a decision being made by the County.

Examples of information that can be accessed outside of the POPA and ATIA Acts are provided below:

Information accessible outside of the POPA and ATIA Acts