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Access Pismo Public Records Portal
The City's Access Pismo public records portal provides the public with greater ease of access to key sets of public records.
Records are searchable by title and document text, and record series like City Council Resolutions are updated in real time for the public’s convenience.
Content available in the records portal currently includes legislative documents (agendas, minutes, resolutions and ordinances) for the City Council, Planning Commission, Parking Advisory Committee, Conference and Visitors Bureau Board, and Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission, and other legislative bodies, along with the Clam Chronicle City newsletter. More types of records and other useful content will be added over time, so check back frequently for new additions.
All content previously available in the online "Archive Center" is now available in the new records portal. Existing Document Center resources are in the process of being migrated to the Access Pismo portal.
Suggestions for Content
We welcome suggestions from the public as to the types of documents made available in the Access Pismo records portal. To submit a suggestion for a type of record you’d like to see made available online, please email City Clerk Erica Inderlied. An email link is provided in the sidebar at right.
If you wish to request records that are not available in Access Pismo, please refer to the "Request Public Records" tab above for guidelines on submitting a public records request.
Troubleshooting & Feedback
We welcome public feedback on the records portal interface. To provide feedback on your user experience, or to make suggestions for improvements or additions, please email please email City Clerk Erica Inderlied. An email link is provided in the sidebar at right.
If you experience an error message or other technical issues with the new records portal, please send email City Clerk Erica Inderlied. An email link is provided in the sidebar at right. Please provide as much detail as possible about the issue (e.g. which web browser you’re using, the specific text of the error message, etc.) and we’ll work to resolve it if possible.
A limited number of user connections to the Public Portal may be made at any one time. As a result, if your session is inactive for 15 minutes or more, you may be timed out. If the maximum number of users has already been reached, please try again in a few minutes.
General Tips
To view a record for an extended period of time, it is recommended that you download it locally for use at your convenience. As mentioned above, prolonged connections to the record portal may be timed out.
In order to save a record as a PDF, your internet browser’s settings must be set to allow pop-up windows from the domain accesspismo.pismobeach.org. Please review your browser’s help materials for assistance, or contact us.
Legacy Document Center
The online Document Center contains other records including Public Notices, Forms, Budget Documents, RFPs, and more. These records will be migrated to the Access Pismo records portal over time.
Public Records Requests
The City Clerk acts as a clearinghouse for all Public Records Requests submitted to the City. Please refer to the guidelines below.
Before submitting a request for records:
- Please visit our Public Records Portal or Document Center to see if the records are readily available for download.
- Examples of documents that are readily available for download:
- City Council meeting minutes
- Ordinances, resolutions, agendas, and staff reports
- Campaign finance filings and other FPPC forms
- If you are a consultant or vendor doing work on behalf of the City, please do not use a records request to obtain records or data. Please request this information directly from the staff administering your contract for services.
Guidelines for formulating a request:
- Please make a focused and specific request for records. The Public Records Act provides that a records request must reasonably describe an identifiable record or records, and not be overly broad.
- Tips for formulating an effective records request:
- Be as specific as possible. The more detail you can provide about which record you seek, the more likely it is to be timely located.
- Identify the specific type of records you seek. Examples of specific types of records might include an invoice, encroachment permit, letter, planning entitlement application, RFP, etc.
- Identify the timeframe within which the record was created. If a specific date is unknown, narrowing the request to an estimated year or span of years can greatly expedite a search.
- Be as specific as possible in providing the names of parties involved, the address and/or APN of properties involved, etc.
- If requesting copies of email records, identify specific keywords that are likely to return the emails you seek. Otherwise, staff will exercise discretion in formulating a search.
- Overly broad or vague requests may require large amounts of staff time to evaluate and are less likely to result in the specific information sought by a requestor. If you are unsure what types of records may contain the information you seek, please contact staff to obtain assistance in formulating an effective request before submitting. If an overly broad or vague request is received, the requestor may be required to refine the scope of their request before it is evaluated.
- Exemptions: A number of specific types of records are exempt from production (will not be provided to a requestor) under the Public Records Act statute. In most cases where record(s) are withheld, the City will identify which code section applies, however the City is not obligated to provide a list of which specific records were withheld.
- Copies and fees: Please indicate whether you seek copies of the records, or prefer to inspect them in our offices before deciding whether to request copies. Copies of records will be delivered in digital format if no preference is indicated. In most cases, there will be no charge for electronic records; there may be a fee for production of hard copies or compilation of electronic data.
- Scope of the Act: Please note that the Public Records Act is a vehicle for obtaining copies of existing records that are owned, used, or retained by the City. The Act is not a vehicle for requesting that the City create a record, or provide miscellaneous information not otherwise evidenced by existing documents. Requests for miscellaneous information may be submitted, but will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and in some cases may not be honored.
- FOIA not applicable: Please note that City records are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which is a vehicle for obtaining federal records only. Any requests claiming to seek records under FOIA will instead be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act, California Government Code Section 6250 et. seq. and other statutes regulating the release of local agency records.
To submit a request:
To submit a Public Records Request, you may:
- Submit the request via email to the City Clerk at einderlied@pismobeach.org;
- Submit the request using the online Public Records Request Form;
- Submit the request via mail to the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, 93449; or
- Submit the request in person at City Hall, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, 93449.
You are not required by law to make a written request; if you are unable or unwilling to make a written request, please contact the City Clerk’s Office for assistance.
After submitting a request:
Within 10 days from the receipt of the request, the City will notify the requestor of whether it believes it possesses responsive, disclosable records. Under certain circumstances, the City may extend this timeframe.
Contact Us
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Erica Inderlied
760 Mattie Road
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Ph: 805-773-4657
Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm