Editor’s Note: Sunshine Request makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.
Other (indicate in message) Submitted: April 16, 2024 | Updated: May 6, 2024
(April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.
Good evening Trisha, Meagan, Sheila, (or Records Officer / Custodian(s) of these Records),
Please reply promptly to the following public records request, which I’m making in accordance with NC Public Records Law. https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_132.html
Please provide the names and salaries of all Transylvania County, NC employees who were employed during the specific time period of 01/01/2024 through the present day [on the date the query is performed]. Please include the following:
1) Employee first / last name
2) Date of hire
3) Position / title / department
4) Salary [including hourly wage, hourly rate, or salary -- whichever payment structure is applicable to the employee]
5) If this is a matter of record: Please provide the weekly hours worked for each employee from 01/01/24 - present day.
If for some reason it is impossible for you to query the info in the manner requested (by month), then please explain this, and please provide any responsive records “as of the present day” [on the date the query is performed].
Ideally, I’d like to receive the responsive records in an Excel or other machine-readable format. If any / all of this info is already publicly available online, please provide a link to where it can be accessed.
** I’m simply requesting an electronic copy of an electronic record, if one exists. I’m NOT asking for the opportunity to come in person to "inspect", nor to obtain a printed copy of, this electronic record. I’m requesting explicitly that any responsive info be provided to me via the electronic medium / electronic format (in which the copy of this record already exists). If you are unable to fulfill any or all parts of this request, please specifically cite where a reason for denial is justified under NC Public Records Law. **
————————————
Please note that by submitting this request, I’m NOT agreeing to pay any potential fees or associated costs related to my request. If it isn’t possible to process the request without incurring fees, then please let me know the itemized potential cost and clear explanations of those charges upfront, and DO NOT proceed until I respond.
By Law I’m not required to provide a name or address to associate with a public records request, but in order to move things along I’d like to clarify that this request is being made by:
Sunshine Request
PO Box 17391
Asheville, NC 28816
The request has been sent solely by me and my email address [email protected] . If anyone other than that email address contacts you to pursue a similar request, it did not come from me. Please do not commingle or treat that as an alteration or cancellation of my request – I intend to continue to pursue my request.
Thank you for your assistance!
** Sunshine Request (www.sunshinerequest.com) makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.
Status: Completed
Documents:
Activity:
-
May 6, 2024 5:50 pm
1 month ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Sheila Cozart <[email protected]>
cc: Trisha Hogan <[email protected]>, Meagan O’Neal <[email protected]>
date: May 6, 2024, 5:50 PM
subject: Re: Public records request. (April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.Hi Sheila,
Thanks for your response.
I reviewed the file you sent today to satisfy item 5) from my request. Tomorrow morning I will mark this request as “Completed” on our website.
Thank you for your assistance!
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Completed -
May 6, 2024 12:45 pm
1 month ago
from: Sheila Cozart <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
cc: Trisha Hogan <[email protected]>, Meagan O’Neal <[email protected]>
date: May 6, 2024, 12:45 PM
subject: RE: Public records request. (April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.Dear Sunshine Request Team,
I am following up with additional information for your Public Records request on 4/16/24. After review, we can provide you with you information originally requested related to hours worked for employees from 01/01/2024 – current.
Thank you,
Sheila Cozart
Human Resources Director
101 South Broad Street
Brevard, NC, 28712
828-884-3227 -phone
828-884-3119 – fax
**Editor’s Note: Please see the 1 file referenced (“Copy-of-4.30.24-Request-for-Weekly-Hours-Worked.xlsx”) at top left in our Documents section.
Status: Response Received from Government -
April 30, 2024 6:25 pm
2 months ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Sheila Cozart <[email protected]>
cc: Trisha Hogan <[email protected]>, Meagan O’Neal <[email protected]>
date: Apr 30, 2024, 6:25 PM
subject: Re: Public records request. (April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.Hi Sheila,
Thanks again for sending the salaries spreadsheet.
Item 5) from my request asked: “If this is a matter of record: Please provide the weekly hours worked for each employee from 01/01/24 – present day.”
I reviewed your last message from 04/19 @ 5:06PM, and I’d like to ask for clarification to the following comment:
“Additionally, a part of your request for weekly hours worked by each employee is not included. That information is not public record.”I’ve bolded for emphasis:
In his book Public Records Law for North Carolina Local Governments , Dr. David Lawrence “… distinguishes between financial records and personnel records, noting that some information about employees is maintained for financial, not personnel reasons. Time sheets may include a mix of both types of information, including hours worked, as well as sick or vacation leave taken, and comp time used. According to Lawrence, time sheets that simply record hours worked are ‘prepared solely for payroll purposes’ and should be considered financial rather than personnel records. These time sheets are fully subject to public access under the Public Records Law. But times sheets containing leave or comp time information should be considered part of the personnel file. Public Records at p. 158″
It’s clear that a basic request for hours worked by an employee is a financial, and not a personnel, record. Can you please explain and cite where the specific reason you feel your denial of item #5 in my request is justified under NC Public Records Law? Alternatively — please proceed to fulfill this portion of my request.
I will follow up again in 1 week if I haven’t heard anything else.
Thank you for your help!
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Follow up -
April 26, 2024 12:25 pm
2 months ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Sheila Cozart <[email protected]>
cc: Trisha Hogan <[email protected]>, Meagan O’Neal <[email protected]>
date: Apr 26, 2024, 12:25 PM
subject: Re: Public records request. (April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.Hi Sheila,
My apologies for the delay.
Thank you for your message on 04/19. Thanks for sending that spreadsheet!
I will further review that attachment, and I will upload it to our website at some point later today or early next week. My Team and I will likely have a follow up question or two, so I’ll be in touch with you about that on Monday.
Thank you for your help!
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Response Received from Government -
April 19, 2024 5:06 pm
2 months ago
from: Sheila Cozart <[email protected]>
to: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
cc: Trisha Hogan <[email protected]>,
Meagan O’Neal <[email protected]>
date: Apr 19, 2024, 5:06 PM
subject: Public records request. (April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.Good Afternoon,
Please find attached a spreadsheet containing the requested information related to Public Personnel Records on 4/16/2024. Information requested related to employees who worked 1/1/2024 – 4/15/2024 is not available as part of the information available through our payroll query. The attached spreadsheet includes employees who are active as of 4/16/2024.
Additionally, a part of your request for weekly hours worked by each employee is not included. That information is not public record.
Thank you,
Sheila Cozart
Human Resources Director
101 South Broad Street
Brevard, NC, 28712
828-884-3227 -phone
828-884-3119 – fax
**Editor’s Note: Please see the 1 file referenced (“4.16.24-Request-for-Employee-DOH-and-Position-Salary-Prep-File.xlsx”) at top left in our Documents section.
Status: Response Received from Government -
April 16, 2024 6:10 pm
2 months ago
from: Mail Delivery Subsystem <[email protected]>
date: Apr 16, 2024, 6:11 PM
subject: Delivery Status Notification (Failure)Message blocked
Your message to [email protected] has been blocked. See technical details below for more information.
The response from the remote server was:
550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied. [CH2PEPF0000013D.namprd02.
prod.outlook.com 2024-04-16T22:11:11.646Z 08DC5CDB2543F807] ———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
To: Trisha Hogan <trisha.hogan@transylvaniacounty.org>
Cc: meagan.oneal@transylvaniacounty.org, [email protected], Sheila Cozart <sheila.cozart@transylvaniacou nty.org>
Bcc:
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2024 18:10:54 -0400
Subject: Public records request. (April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.
—– Message truncated —–
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Trisha Hogan <[email protected]>
cc: [email protected], [email protected], Sheila Cozart <[email protected]>
date: Apr 16, 2024, 6:10 PM
subject: Public records request. (April 2024) Request for Transylvania County, NC Government: List of all employees and their salaries, from 01/01/24 to present day. Plus weekly hours worked.Good evening Trisha, Meagan, Sheila, (or Records Officer / Custodian(s) of these Records),
Please reply promptly to the following public records request, which I’m making in accordance with NC Public Records Law. https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_132.html
Please provide the names and salaries of all Transylvania County, NC employees who were employed during the specific time period of 01/01/2024 through the present day [on the date the query is performed]. Please include the
following:1) Employee first / last name
2) Date of hire
3) Position / title / department
4) Salary [including hourly wage, hourly rate, or salary — whichever payment structure is applicable to the employee]
5) If this is a matter of record: Please provide the weekly hours worked for each employee from 01/01/24 – present day.If for some reason it is impossible for you to query the info in the manner requested (by month), then please explain this, and please provide any responsive records “as of the present day” [on the date the query is performed].
Ideally, I’d like to receive the responsive records in an Excel or other machine-readable format. If any / all of this info is already publicly available online, please provide a link to where it can be accessed.
** I’m simply requesting an electronic copy of an electronic record, if one exists. I’m NOT asking for the opportunity to come in person to “inspect”, nor to obtain a printed copy of, this electronic record. I’m requesting explicitly that any responsive info be provided to me via the electronic medium / electronic format (in which the copy of this record already exists). If you are unable to fulfill any or all parts of this request, please specifically cite where a reason for denial is justified under NC Public Records Law. **
————————————Please note that by submitting this request, I’m NOT agreeing to pay any potential fees or associated costs related to my request. If it isn’t possible to process the request without incurring fees, then please let me know the itemized potential cost and clear explanations of those charges upfront, and DO NOT proceed until I respond.
By Law I’m not required to provide a name or address to associate with a public records request, but in order to move things along I’d like to clarify that this request is being made by:
Sunshine Request
PO Box 17391
Asheville, NC 28816The request has been sent solely by me and my email address [email protected] . If anyone other than that email address contacts you to pursue a similar request, it did not come from me. Please do not commingle or treat that as an alteration or cancellation of my request – I intend to continue to pursue my request.
Thank you for your assistance!
** Sunshine Request (www.sunshinerequest.com) makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.
Status: Sent to Government -
April 16, 2024 6:07 pm
2 months ago
Submitted to Sunshine Request
Status: Pending