Their Hobby: Open Record Requests

A Group of Retirees Makes It Their Business
To Protect Public Access

by Jake Rigdon, Wausau Daily Herald

Erv Kolpitcke, 84, of Wausau, figures he has requested dozens of public records over the years. anything earth-shattering, but he said local public officials know he's watching.

Kolpitcke isn't the only one. He's part of a small group of retirees here that has made a hobby of submitting open records requests.

"The public has a right to know what's going on—it can't be any plainer than that," Kolpitcke said.

Kolpitcke occasionally meets over coffee with retirees like Wes Cooper. More often than not, talk turns to local politics. Cooper, a retired pharmaceutical specialist, also has requested more than his share of public documents over the years.

"It's all about freedom of information," said Cooper, 80. "We can't function without it."

As city attorney for Wausau, Bill Nagle is used to receiving requests for open records. Nagle estimates that his office receives 15 to 20 formal requests— meaning more than just a simple phone call or conversation—per month.

Most times, people are looking for ordinances, resolutions, agreements or copies of leases, he said.

The types of records that aren't accessible are personnel records or records regarding issues that have yet to be resolved, such as contract negotiations.

"I think open records and meetings are some of the most important laws ever passed," he said. "The reason I say that is because governments can become so powerful that the potential for good is high, but the potential for wrong is there, too.

"If you have bad people in government, one of the ways to correct that is with these (open records) laws, which enable the average citizen to find out what's really going on."

Requesting a public document doesn't have to be difficult. Sometimes all one has to do is ask for it, whether over the phone, in person or by fax or e-mail. If the request is denied, then it should be made in writing to set in motion any legal wrangling that might be required to release those documents.

Kolpitcke said that most times he simply stops by an office and asks for records, whether it's a copy of a department's budget or a look at an official's expense report.

His interest in obtaining public records stems from his time in public office. Kolpitcke, a longtime branch manager for a local calculator company and a World War II Army veteran, said he spent about 10 years off and on serving on the Wausau City Council and two years on the County Board.

"I became interested in what the city was spending money on," he said. "All of these things have an impact on our taxes."

After retiring, Kolpitcke took a part-time job as a bus driver, so he had plenty of time to talk politics with friends and attend public meetings. He is modest about the impact he and his friends have had on local government, but he thinks their presence is being noticed.

"When (city officials) see me walking around, they're probably saying to themselves, What the (heck) does he want to know now?'" he said. "It's a big satisfaction when I get those (documents), but even then sometimes I wonder if any of the numbers have been finagled. Everything's probably (legitimate), but I guess I'm just a doubting person."