Access to Public Records

The City of Methuen is committed to providing public records access in compliance with Massachusetts Public Records Law. To request public records, please follow the instructions below.

Understanding the Massachusetts Public Records Law

Massachusetts Public Records Law (Chapter 66, Section 10 of the Massachusetts General Laws) applies to records made or received by a Massachusetts agency or municipality. Records of agencies and municipalities are presumed to be public. However, certain records fall under an exemption to the law and will not be available. A list of exemptions can be found at Chapter 4, Section 7(26) of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Records Access Officer (RAO) for the City of Methuen

The updated Public Records Law requires every agency and municipality to designate a Records Access Officer (RAO) to assist requesters in obtaining public records. Requests for public records may be made to the RAO.

For the City of Methuen, the designated RAO is:

Anne Drouin RAO
41 Pleasant Street
Searles Building, Room 112
Methuen, MA 01844

Submitting a Public Records Request

The City of Methuen encourages the public to use our Public Records Request Portal for a faster response and improved record keeping.

You can make a records request verbally, in-person, or in writing. A copy of the written request is needed to file an appeal with the Supervisor of Records. Anyone may request records from an RAO, and the Law does not require public records requests to be in a specific format.

However, the following sample may be helpful:

[Date request mailed]

Anne Drouin RAO
41 Pleasant Street
Searles Building, Room 112
Methuen, MA 01844

Re: Massachusetts Public Records Request

Dear _______:

This is a request under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (M. G. L. Chapter 66, Section 10). I am requesting that I be provided a copy of the following records:

[Please include a detailed description of the information you are seeking.]

I recognize that you may charge reasonable costs for copies, as well as for personnel time needed to comply with this request.

The Public Records Law requires you to provide me with a written response within 10 business days. If you cannot comply with my request, you are statutorily required to provide an explanation in writing.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Contact Information (address, email, telephone)

Appealing a Denial of Access to Public Records

If you do not receive a satisfactory response, you may appeal to the Supervisor of Records. For more information on appealing a denial, visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Public Records Division website. You may also seek judicial review by commencing a civil action in superior court under G.L. c. 66, § 10A(c).

Additional Information

For additional information about making a request or filing an appeal, see 950 CMR 32.08 (1) or refer to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Public Records Division publication, A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law (PDF).