The Town of Munster Clerk-Treasurer’s Office provides public access to disclosable town records in accordance with Indiana law.
When you visit the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office to access public records, you will be asked to complete a form stating which document or documents you wish to access. Your request must be specific. If records are not immediately available, staff will retrieve the records of interest and telephone you when they are ready for inspection. If you request copies of public records, the office charges ten cents per page, one side only, for every page after the first ten. The first ten copies are free.
The Clerk-Treasurer’s Office will assist you in accessing public documents but cannot give legal advice or explain, interpret, or justify the records you access. Staff members are familiar with the Indiana Access to Public Records Law (Indiana Code 5-14-3) and will provide a copy of the statute at no charge. The office is guided in handling requests by the "Handbook on Indiana's Public Access Laws," available online at http://www.in.gov/pac/files/pac_handbook.pdf.
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Your inspection of public records will be supervised. If you wish to inspect many records, you may need to make multiple visits to Town Hall, since your inspection must be coordinated with the operation of the office.
The Clerk-Treasurer is the keeper of records of the local legislative body but cannot keep records that are not delivered to the office. If you request a record that is not in the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, your request will be denied and you will be directed to look elsewhere. Sometimes staff members know a record exists elsewhere; other times they do not. In some cases, the office may need to consult with the town attorney to determine whether a public record is disclosable, as some public records are not disclosable. If your request for access to a public record is denied, you will be given the reason for the denial.
Generally, the office does not ask why you are requesting a particular record. However, it is sometimes helpful to know your need so staff can better fulfill your request. You have a statutory right to access disclosable public records, and the office will make its best effort to accommodate you while preserving the rights of others.
The Clerk-Treasurer’s Office is located at Munster Town Hall, 1005 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana 46321, about three blocks east of Calumet Avenue on the north side of Ridge Road. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The telephone number is 219-836-6940.
