Privacy Policy

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) provides a process to access the general records held by municipalities and an individual’s own personal information. The spirit of the Act is to create an open and accountable government by providing as much information as possible to the public, while ensuring that their personal privacy is protected. A request under this Act is commonly known as an FOI (Freedom of Information) Request.

Routine Access to Municipal Records

The City makes some municipal records accessible to the public without a FOI request. To access records and information you should always first contact the department who has the records and information you are looking for. Department staff will determine if:

• the records can be supplied to you directly through an informal process
• the request should be a formal FOI request
• the records can be supplied to you through their department’s routine disclosure practice (fees may apply)

Rules governing access and release of information are outlined within MFIPPA and apply to both formal and informal requests.

You may be able to request the following records without a formal FOI request (exceptions may apply):

• City Council and Committee reports, agendas, minutes, by-laws, and policies
• Your own building permit
• Your own planning and zoning records
• Your own fire permit or inspection records
• Your own personal health information relating to your involvement with the Kawartha Lakes Paramedics
• Your property tax bill (fees may apply)
• Assessment Roll Book information for any property in Kawartha Lakes
• Your own Human Resources information (if you are an employee of Kawartha Lakes)
• Historic or archived records from pre-amalgamation municipalities
• Documents required to be publically available under various laws

Commonly Requested Records Requiring a FOI

The following types or records are commonly requested by a formal FOI Request:

• Ontario Works files (including files of Haliburton County residents)
• Incident Reports by the Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service
• Municipal Law Enforcement case files
• Building Department Inspection files for properties that are not your own
• Public Works records regarding maintenance of roads
• Other City-held records that may contain personal information, or where another exemption under MFIPPA may apply

Making a Formal FOI Request

All formal FOI requests must:

• be made in writing on the Freedom of Information Request Form [insert form link to pdf] containing:
  • an original signature
  • a clear description of the records requested (Note: to avoid clarifications, we recommend not forming your request in the form of a question)
  • a time frame the records may be from
  • your contact information
• include the $5.00 application fee (payable by cheque via mail, or made in person by cash, debit, or credit)
• additional fees will apply if records are found ($30/hour for search, $30/hour for preparation/redaction, and $0.20 per page)
• No search or preparation fees will be charged for requests of your own personal information
• If fees are anticipated to exceed $100, you will receive a fee estimate and be requested to supply a 50% deposit before the search for records begins
• include the following additional information if you are acting as a legal professional on behalf of a client:
• a signed letter of consent to act on his/her behalf; and
• a photocopy of a piece of your clients identification with a signature (such as a driver’s licence) for verification purposes

Deliver all of the above material to in person to Kawartha Lakes City Hall, or any Municipal Service Centre if accessing City Hall is difficult for you.

You may also mail or send by courier all of the above information to:

Kawartha Lakes City Hall

26 Francis Street

PO Box 9000

Lindsay, ON  K9V 5R8

Attn: Office of the City Clerk

Please Note: During the Covid-19 Kawartha Lakes Administration Offices closure, FOI Requests may be delivered via regular mail or courier to Kawartha Lakes City Hall, Attn: City Clerk’s Office, 26 Francis Street, PO Box 9000, Lindsay ON, K9V 5R8. See ‘Making a Formal FOI Request’ below for more details.

The City Clerk’s Office will process the request by following the regulations in MFIPPA. Normally requests are processed within 30 days, however, extensions may be requested due to the volume of records. The 30 day time line does not apply if records contain third party information.

If you have questions about the formal FOI process, feel free to contact the City Clerk’s Office by email, or call 705-324-9411 ext. 1322

Affiliated or Similar Government Institutions

The City of Kawartha Lakes does not hold all government information within the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh program. You may also seek a Formal FOI request with an affiliated or similar government institutions:

• Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development

Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

The Act outlines the process that must be followed and explains exemptions that the City may apply to records prior to releasing them to the requestor. It also sets out an Appeal process should the requestor disagree with the decision made by the City.

Contact Us

The Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes

180 Kent Street West

Lindsay, Ontario,Canada K9V 2Y6

Telephone: 1-888-822-2225 extension 1208

Email us: info@kawarthachoice.com