Right to Know / Open Records

Under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, any resident of the United States may request records from Middle Smithfield Township. This request must be made in writing and can be submitted by mail, email, fax or in person. Requests must be directed to the Township Open Records Officer.

Submitting Requests

Direct Middle Smithfield Township Open Record Requests to:

Christopher Rain
Open Records Officer
147 Municipal Drive
East Stroudsburg, PA 18302
Phone: 570-223-8920, ext. 119
Fax: 570-445-3720
Email Christopher Rain

Municipal Center Office Hours are Monday through Friday 8 am to 4 pm.

The request must be sufficiently "specific" to allow the township to identify what you are seeking. General request forms are also available at the Office of Open Records website.

After Request is Submitted

Once your request has been received, the Open Records Officer has a five business days to grant, deny or invoke a 30 day extension in order to process your request. All state regulations, policies and procedures regarding Pennsylvania's New Right to Know Law can be found on the Office of Open Records website. This Law took effect on January 1, 2009.

After review of your request is complete, your request may be granted, denied, or partially granted and denied.  If your request is granted, or partially granted, you will receive a letter from the Open Records Officer along with copies of your requested documents, or instructions on how to receive your documents. You may need to pay a duplication fee for printed copies.

Record Denial

The Township may deny a requester access to a record for several reasons. The most common reason for a denial is because the requested document(s) are not in the possession of the Township. If your request is denied, or partially denied, you will receive a letter from the Open Records Officer stating the reason for the denial. For more information about the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, including other reasons for request denials, please visit the Office of Open Records website.

The Township may also deny a request if the requester has made repeated requests for that same record and the repeated requests place an unreasonable burden on the Township. A denial under this subsection shall not restrict the ability to request a different record.

Appeals & Inquiries

If a written request for access to a record is denied, the requester may file an appeal with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records within fifteen (15) business days of the mailing date of the agency's response. The appeal shall state the grounds upon which the requester asserts that the record is a public record, legislative record or financial record and shall address any grounds stated by the agency for delaying or denying the request. Contract information for the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records is listed below.

Office of Open Records
333 Market Street, 16th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Telephone: 717-346-9903
Email Open Records
Website