Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Homewood Mayor jennifer Andress speaks during a City Council work session on Monday, July 27, 2026.
The Homewood City Council on Monday updated the city’s public records request procedures to fend off data mining efforts.
In the past, Homewood has charged people by the page for making copies of documents.
The new policy approved by the City Council Monday allows the city to charge an hourly fee “when a public records request requires substantial staff time to search, retrieve, review, redact, supervise inspection, compile or reproduce records.” The cost will be $30 per hour if the work is done by administrative/clerical staff, $40 per hour if the work is done by information technology staff and $50 per hour if the work is done by a department director or supervisory staff.
In addition to any fee amount specified, the city may charge for actual costs necessary to respond to the request. For requests estimated to exceed $100 in total costs or requiring more than three hours of staff time, the city may require a deposit prior to beginning work on the request.
Mayor Jennifer Andress said City Clerk Bo Seagrist proposed this change to protect Homewood residents from “data mining” by companies by making it cost-prohibitive for companies to get copies of public records.
Councilman Paul Simmons II said “for them to mine data for their business purposes, to sell it, to me, I think that's ridiculous.”
The resolution passed 4-1, with Councilman Chris Lane voting no.
Andress said the new policy will not impact Homewood residents. “He will not charge Homewood citizens for document requests,” she said. “We were trying to make it more accessible to Homewood residents.”
In other action Monday, the council:
- Approved a budget transfer to repair two air conditioning units that have failed or are failing at the community center and to repair plumbing issues in the women’s restroom at the recreation center
- Approved an ordinance to install yield signs and stripe yield lines at the intersection of Rumson Road and Yorkshire Drive
- Approved a request to fund the Safe & Healthy Homewood program from July 1 through Sept. 30, using money from a prescription opioid lawsuit settlement
- Voted to allow a retaining wall to extend into the public right of way in front of 419 Poinciana Drive
- Updated the city’s traffic calming policy
- Set a public hearing for Sept. 14 to rezone the western portion of 1832 25th Court S. from an I-2 institutional district to a neighborhood preservation district
- Set public hearings for Sept. 14 to declare properties at 1045 Forrest Brook Drive, 608 Shades Creek Parkway and 1580 Berry Road as public nuisances due to excessive growth of weeds, grass or other vegetation
