Privacy vs. transparency debate at Palm Springs City Hall

During our investigation into the FBI raid at Palm Springs City Hall, we discovered some of the personal information people provide when they call City Hall is now being made public, including names, cellphone numbers and even addresses.

The city put more than 4,000 documents, which were taken during the raid, online on its website as an effort to be more transparent. The documents included a log of phone messages to the Palm Springs City Manager’s office from March 2015 to August 2015. Dozens of the pages list personal information for business owners and residents.

We informed some of the people whose information was listed. Some of them didn’t mind learning their cellphone numbers and names were put out there. Others said they’re concerned.

“I do appreciate the fact they want to put the documents out there and they are trying to be more transparent,” said Joy Meredith, owner of Crystal Fantasy. “The rest of us aren’t being under investigation and so I would’ve preferred if my number, my cellphone number was not included in that.”

We showed Mayor Robert Moon the call log and asked him what he thought about people’s personal information going public online.

“I do believe that when the city releases something we redact any personal information like telephone numbers and local addresses,” said Moon.

We asked City Attorney Doug Holland why he didn’t redact the personal information from the documents online. He sent us the following statement.

“The documents were released pursuant to a public records request. Included in the documents requested were records of phone messages to the City Manager’s Office. There isn’t any reasonable expectation that these minimal contacts are private and/or confidential and not disclosable under the Public Records Act in the context of the request.”

Former mayor Will Kleindienst who was on the call log several times, and his personal cellphone number was listed, said he didn’t mind. It’s a step in the right direction for the city.

“Transparency has only one layer. It is either transparent or it is not. A filter would be willfully inappropriate,” said Kleindienst.

So what happens when you call the City Manager’s office?

“Documentation of calls to the City Manager’s Office are public records under the Public Records Act and requests for public records will be evaluated and reviewed in the context of our obligations to comply with the Public Records Act,” said Holland in an email.