How to File a Public Records Request in Flowery Branch, Georgia

What Is the Georgia Open Records Act?

The Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-78) is Georgia's principal transparency law, guaranteeing any person — resident or not, individual or organization — the right to inspect and copy records maintained by public agencies. The Georgia General Assembly has declared that the strong public policy of the state is in favor of open government, and the Act must be broadly construed to allow inspection of governmental records. The City of Flowery Branch, as a municipal corporation, is fully subject to the Act.

Public records covered by the Act include any document, paper, letter, map, book, tape, photograph, computer-based or generated information, or similar material prepared, maintained, or received in the course of operating a public office. In practical terms for Flowery Branch residents, this includes city council meeting minutes and agendas, building and zoning permits, city contracts and vendor agreements, police incident and arrest reports, budget documents, payroll data, code enforcement records, and official email correspondence from city staff.

Exemptions exist but must be construed narrowly. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, common exempt categories include records from active criminal investigations (though initial arrest reports and incident reports remain available), personnel records containing private personal data such as home addresses and financial information, medical records, attorney-client privileged communications, and records federally required to be kept confidential. When the City withholds any record, it must cite the exact statutory exemption — by code section, subsection, and paragraph — under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d). Failure to do so may constitute a waiver of the exemption. No requester is required to state a purpose for their request.

Read the full text of the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-78)

How to File a Public Records Request with the City of Flowery Branch

How to Submit Your Request

The City of Flowery Branch provides two routes for general (non-police) open records requests. The easiest is the City's online submission form at flowerybranchga.org/administration/webform/open-records-request-not-police-records — this is the City's preferred method and generates an automatic record of your submission. A downloadable Open Records Request Form is also available on the City's open records page if you prefer to submit by email, mail, or in person to City Hall at 5410 Pine Street. For police and municipal court records specifically, the Flowery Branch Police Department (FBPD) has a separate form — the FLPD Open Records Request — available at flowerybranchga.org/departments/police/forms.php. Complete the form and email it to the address listed on the form, or deliver it in person to FBPD at 5270 Railroad Avenue during office hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM). You can also contact Police/Court Clerk Administrator Kelsey Cash directly at kelseyc@flowerybranchga.org or (770) 967-6336. Written requests are strongly recommended — under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73, only written requests are enforceable in superior court.

Download Required Form

What to Include in Your Request

• Your full name and preferred contact information (mailing address, email, or phone number)
• A clear, specific description of the records you are seeking — identify the document type, subject matter, and relevant department
• The date range or time period covering the records, if applicable
• Your preferred format for receiving records (electronic PDF, native file format, or paper copies)
• A stated fee threshold above which you want to be notified before the City proceeds (e.g., 'Please notify me before incurring costs exceeding $25')
• A citation to the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.) to formally invoke your statutory rights
• For police/court records: use the separate FLPD Open Records Request Form and submit directly to the Flowery Branch Police Department

Response Deadlines and What to Expect

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(b)(1)(A), the City of Flowery Branch must respond to a written open records request within three business days of receipt. Georgia does not distinguish between in-state residents and out-of-state requesters — the three-business-day deadline applies equally to all persons. The clock begins running when the City Clerk or designated department custodian receives your written request.

A timely response does not necessarily mean full production of records within three business days. If responsive records exist but cannot be immediately produced, the City must — within those three business days — provide a written description of the records and a good-faith timeline for when they will be made available, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(b)(1)(B). Production must then occur as soon as practicable.

If any records are withheld in whole or in part, the City must identify each withheld document and cite the exact code section, subsection, and paragraph of the statutory exemption under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d). Failure to provide a precise citation may constitute a waiver of the exemption. Note that the City's own open records page specifies that a valid request must be for a specific and identifiable public document — not a general information inquiry — so it helps to frame your request around discrete documents.

For police and municipal court records, the Flowery Branch Police Department advises that you will receive a response within 3–5 business days of the request being received to advise of the time frame for processing. While the statutory outer limit is three business days, requesters should be aware this department communicates its own internal processing schedule. Paper copying costs under Georgia law are capped at $0.10 per page. Search and retrieval time is billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee, with no charge for the first 15 minutes. If estimated costs exceed $500, the City may require prepayment before searching.

Accident reports from the Flowery Branch Police Department are available for $5.00 and can also be obtained through the third-party service www.buycrash.com.

What to Do If Your Request Is Denied or Delayed

A denial or non-response from the City of Flowery Branch is not the final word. The Georgia Open Records Act gives requesters legally enforceable tools to push back, and Georgia courts have consistently upheld the Act's strong presumption of openness.

If the City fails to respond within three business days, that silence is itself a potential violation of O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(b)(1)(A). If records are withheld without a specific statutory citation identifying the code section, subsection, and paragraph of the claimed exemption, that failure may waive the exemption under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d).

Common reasons the City might deny requests include: records in active criminal or employee misconduct investigations (though initial incident and arrest reports are never exempt under the Act); personnel records containing home addresses or financial data of public employees; attorney-client privileged communications; records required by federal law to be kept confidential; and pending real estate acquisition documents. It is also worth noting that the City defines a valid request as one seeking a specific and identifiable public document — if your request was denied on those grounds, consider narrowing or re-framing it to identify a particular document or set of documents.

If you receive a denial or no response, your first step is to contact City Clerk Shelia Cooper at (470) 798-0535 or shelia.cooper@flowerybranchga.org to seek clarification. If that does not resolve the issue, the Georgia Attorney General's Office provides guidance on open records compliance at law.georgia.gov and may initiate independent enforcement actions.

As a final escalation, you may file a civil action in the Superior Court of Hall County under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73(a) to compel production. If the court finds that the City acted without substantial justification in withholding records, it must — absent special circumstances — award the requester reasonable attorney's fees and litigation costs under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73(b). The Georgia First Amendment Foundation (gfaf.org) also offers free guidance on open records disputes and can advise on the strength of a claim.

Steps to Appeal

1. Review the denial carefully to confirm the City cited a specific statutory exemption by exact code section, subsection, and paragraph as required by O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d); if no specific citation was provided, note this deficiency in writing — it may constitute a waiver of the claimed exemption.
2. Contact City Clerk Shelia Cooper at (470) 798-0535 or shelia.cooper@flowerybranchga.org to request clarification of the denial and ask whether any non-exempt portions of the records can be segregated and produced; partial production is required when exempt material can be separated from disclosable content.
3. Send a formal written follow-up to the City Clerk citing the three-business-day response deadline under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(b)(1)(A) and documenting your disagreement with the denial, including the lack of a proper statutory citation if applicable.
4. Contact the Georgia Attorney General's Office at law.georgia.gov for guidance on whether the denial constitutes a violation; the AG may initiate independent enforcement actions under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73(a) and maintains an informal complaint system for open records disputes.
5. Consult the Georgia First Amendment Foundation at gfaf.org (info@gfaf.org), which provides no-cost guidance on open records disputes and can advise on the strength of your position before you incur legal costs.
6. File a civil action in the Superior Court of Hall County under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73(a) to compel production of the withheld records; this is the primary judicial enforcement mechanism under the Georgia Open Records Act.
7. If the court finds the City acted without substantial justification, request an award of reasonable attorney's fees and litigation costs under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73(b); the court must award fees absent special circumstances.

Types of Records You Can Request from Flowery Branch, Georgia

The City of Flowery Branch generates a range of public records across its departments — from City Hall to the Police Department and Planning office. The following are common record types that residents, journalists, business owners, and researchers regularly request from the City.

• City contracts, vendor agreements, and procurement records
• Building permits, zoning applications, and land use approval documents
• Code enforcement complaints and inspection records
• City Council meeting minutes, agendas, and adopted ordinances
• Mayor and City Council correspondence and official communications
• City employee salary data and payroll records
• City budget documents, expenditure reports, and annual audit reports
• Flowery Branch Police Department incident reports and initial arrest records
• Traffic accident reports (also available via buycrash.com)
• Business license applications and approvals
• Planning and zoning board meeting records and variance decisions
• City infrastructure and public works project files and contracts
• Municipal court records and case dispositions
• Special event permits and applications
• Settlement agreements and litigation records involving the City

If you're unsure whether a specific document is a public record, file the request anyway. The burden is on the City of Flowery Branch to justify withholding — not on you to pre-determine what's available.

Tips for Effective Public Records Requests in Flowery Branch