County agrees to open its records process

A county in Minnesota has released a year's worth of withheld inspection records and adopted firm deadlines for answering public-records requests, settling a lawsuit by a neighborhood association.

The association had asked for building-inspection files and waited more than a year without a full response.

The case was about access to public records and how quickly the county must respond.

Elsworne Law sued under the state's public-records law. The firm documented the county's response times across dozens of other requests to show the delay was not isolated.

The county released the records, adopted response deadlines and paid the association's legal fees.

No money was awarded beyond fees. The new rules apply to this county only.

Public-records laws often include deadlines and fee-shifting rules that make enforcement practical for small groups.