Access to information
ACCESS TO A DOCUMENT
As a public body, the Municipality of Harrington is subject to the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information. This establishes the general principle that anyone who so requests has the right:
• to have access to documents held by the Municipality of Harrington, subject to applicable restrictions and exceptions;
• to be informed of the existence of personal information concerning him held by the Municipality of Harrington;
• to have personal information concerning him/her corrected if it is inaccurate, ambiguous or incomplete or if its collection, communication or retention is not authorized by law.
How do I make a request for access to a document?
A request for access to a document must be sent to the person in charge of access to information and contain the following information:
• Applicant’s first name, last name and contact information;
• Precise description of the document requested (title, author, subject, date or period covered and service concerned);
• Desired method of consultation (at our offices or by sending a copy of the document by mail or email).
A request form for access to a document is available to you, but it remains optional to submit your request.- Access to Information Form
You can send your request for access to information to the person in charge of access to information, Mr. Mathieu Dessureault, at the following coordinates:
• Email address: dga@harrington.ca
• Phone number: 819-687-2122 extension 3203
• Mailing address: 2940 route 327, Harrington, Quebec, J8G 2T1
Can a third party request access to a document containing my personal information?
Any request for access to a document may be requested, on your behalf, by a person of your choice. In this case, this third party must provide a power of attorney. To do this, you can use the proxy form available. If the request relates to documents concerning a building of which you are the owner, the power of attorney must specify this. If this building is owned by a legal person or if it is a co-owned building, a resolution of the board of directors must be adopted to designate the applicant.
What is the response time that the municipality can take to follow up on my request?
Following receipt of the request, the Act provides for a response period of 20 consecutive days. The person in charge of access to information may, before the expiry of this period, extend it by a period not exceeding 10 days, by notifying the applicant in writing.
What are the costs for a request for access to documents?
Access to a document is free. However, fees not exceeding the cost of its transcription, reproduction or transmission may be charged to the applicant. The amount and terms of payment of these fees are prescribed by the Regulation respecting fees payable for the transcription, reproduction and transmission of documents and personal information.
Review of a written request refused in whole or in part:
If access to a document is refused, the person who made a written request may file a request for review with the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec within 30 days of the decision.