Department/Board of Land
and Natural Resources

Environment Hawaii editor Pat Tummons says she has tried unsuccessfully to get minutes of closed-door meetings held by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Tummons said she has not even been given a straight answer by the board on whether the records exist. "Here is a case where an agency, if it has such records, has never unsealed them." Board Chairman Mike Wilson said confidential notes are taken and held by the board and have never been released.

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City Building Department

It's among the busiest departments.

The public can ask to see blueprints for projects that have needed building permits as well as the applications.

A person must know the tax map key number for a property and submit it on a request form. From there, a person will receive a large stack or two of all permit applications issued since 1978 in that particular TMK.

A request for blueprints or maps takes until noon the following day, whether it is on hard copy or microfiche. Making copies, however, is a little more cumbersome. A person needs to contact a private reproduction company for copies. A sign on the wall states: "Our plans and microfilms are released only to the reproduction company."

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Judiciary

Nearly all case records of the state court system are accessible to the public, says Marsha Kitagawa, the Judiciary's public affairs director. Hawaii Revised Statutes makes exceptions, most of which deal with minors - such as custody, paternity and adoption cases.

Anyone requesting Circuit Court records must fill out a form and provide a photo identification. Records on site are available the day of a request; off-site records take two days.

A person may request to see three case files at a time.

Kitagawa said among the more common complaints received by the Judiciary is the $7 cost of certified traffic abstracts. Cost of copies for public documents are $1 for the first page, 50 cents for additional pages. Microfilm costs $1 a page and includes a flat fee of $5 if a clerk helps.

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Police

Some reporters have complained about the inconsistency of the handling of arrest records. At Pawaa Annex, reporters could view the arrest logs. At the new Alapai Street station, the booking area is off-limits; reporters must view arrest sheets that are dropped off in the press room after every shift.

Police spokeswoman Jean Motoyama said that while arrest records must be kept open, "our policy is we do not release the names of those arrested until charged. And the only exception is that booking log."