Sec. 20-12. OAT access to records and other items.
A. The Department and all City employees shall fully cooperate with the OAT by providing the OAT, within a reasonable amount of time, complete access to records, information, documents, files, reports, evidence, databases, and all other items, whether in paper, electronic, or other form, that the OAT requests in order to perform its duties set forth in the provisions of this chapter, but not including documents subject to a claim of privilege or confidentiality under applicable law.
B. If, in response to a request from the OAT, records and information cannot be produced at all or produced within a reasonable amount of time, a written explanation, sufficiently detailed for an understanding of why the records or documents cannot be produced, shall be promptly provided. The OAT shall not be required to pay for copies of the materials set forth in this section, including copies of documents previously supplied by the departments; provided, that the OAT may not use those departments as a printing service to make multiple copies of individual documents.
C. The Department shall provide the OAT with an opportunity to participate in any committee or working groups involving external stakeholders convened to draft or revise policies or practices concerning matters within the OAT’s authority.
D. The Department shall provide the OAT with reasonable notice and an opportunity to make recommendations before implementing an existing or adopting a new substantive policy or practice concerning matters within the OAT’s authority. When a policy or practice necessitates an immediate revision or implementation due to a change in the law, the OAT will be notified as soon as practicable about the change.
E. If the OAT receives or is in possession of evidence or vital information pertaining to a case under investigation, it must give or communicate that evidence or information to the Department promptly. Evidence must be in the exact same condition that it was received. (Ord. No. G-6851, § 1, 2021; Ord. No. G-7258, § 2, 2024)