Public Records Information
“An Act to Improve Public Records”, Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2016 made significant changes to the Public Records Law that take effect on January 1, 2017.
The Supervisor of Records has promulgated regulations 950 CMR 32 to implement the new law which further requires the Town to establish guidelines to assist requestors in making informed requests and post such guidelines on the municipal website by July 1, 2017.
The Public Records Law creates a new position called the Records Access Officer (RAO). Regulations define the RAO as a governmental officer or employee within the municipality designated to perform duties described in 950 CMR 32 including coordinating a response to request for access to public records, assisting individuals seeking public records in identifying the records requested, assisting the custodian in preserving and managing public records, and preparing guidelines that enable requestors to make informed requests.
The Board of Selectmen at their December 21, 2016 appointed the following RAO's to assist the public with requests within their departments:
1. Regular business hours of the Whately Town Offices are:
Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Town Clerk’s is open on Monday until 6:00pm.
The Treasurer/Collector's Office is open on Monday until from 5:00pm
Friday - closed.
2. Records Access Officers. The following Records Access Officers (“RAO”) have been designated:
Amy Lavallee, Town Clerk (Principal RAO)
Whately Town Offices
4 Sandy Lane
So. Deerfield, MA 01373
townclerk@whately.org
Phone: 413-665-4400 x3
Fax: 413-665-9560
Monday 8:00am-6:00pm and Tuesday-Thursday 8:00a.m. – 2:00p.m.
Cynthia Herbert-Ramirez - Assessors
Whately Town Offices
4 Sandy Lane
So. Deerfield, MA 01373
assessors@whately.org
Phone: 413-665-4400 x4
Fax: 413-665-9560
Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
James Sevigne - Police Chief
Whately Police Department
James A. Sevigne
Chief of Police
77 Christian Ln.
P.O. Box 251
Whately, Ma 01093
Phone: 413-665-0430
Fax: 413-665-0322
j.sevigne@whately.org
Amy M. Schrader – Treasurer/Collector
Whately Town Offices
4 Sandy Lane
So. Deerfield, MA 01373
treasurer-collector@whately.org
Phone: 413-665-4400 x1
Fax: 413-665-9560
Monday 8:00am - 7:00pm, Tuesday - Thursday 8:00am - 4:00pm, Friday closed
For Board of Health and Health Agent Issues:
Foothills Health District
P O Box 447
Haydenville, MA 01039
Phone: 413-268-8404
No set hours
For School Related issues contact Business Manager
Frontier Regional School District
113 North Main Street
So. Deerfield, MA 01373
Phone: 413-665-1155
Fax: 413-665-8506
Records Access Officers are available to answer questions concerning and help facilitate the making of public records requests. Contact information for RAOs is also posted on the whately.org website and at the Whately Town Offices.