Many cities put routine public information, such as budgets and agendas and minutes from council meetings, on their Web sites. You may also find crime statistics,
ordinances and city
contracts there. It may take a trip to City Hall, but you can also find out whether your council member has a taste for long lunches at your
expense or whether
complaints have been filed about the neighbor's noisy dog that keeps you up at night.
If what you seek is not available on a Web site, you can request it from the department that keeps those records. If the
informal route doesn't work, submit a written public-records request. Address the letter to the office or person you
believe holds the
information you want, but you should also send a copy to the City Attorney.
Addresses and phone numbers of city halls are available on their Web sites or in the front of the White Pages of your phone book.
Carlsbad
www.ci.carlsbad.ca.us
Chula Vista
www.ci.chula-vista.ca.us
Coronado
www.coronado.ca.us
Del Mar
www.delmar.ca.us
El Cajon
www.ci.el-cajon.ca.us
Encinitas
www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
Escondido
www.ci.escondido.ca.us
Imperial Beach
www.cityofib.com
La Mesa
www.cityoflamesa.com
Lemon Grove
www.ci.lemon-grove.ca.us
National City
www.ci.national-city.ca.us
Oceanside
www.ci.oceanside.ca.us
Poway
www.ci.poway.ca.us
San Diego
www.sandiego.gov
San Marcos
www.ci.san-marcos.ca.us
Santee
www.ci.santee.ca.us
Solana Beach
www.ci.solana-beach.ca.us
Vista
www.ci.vista.ca.us
County of San Diego
www.co.san-diego.ca.us
The county lists information on its Web site ranging from its budget to beach closures.The types of information you can request from the county include property records; marriage license and death records; autopsy results; restaurant sanitation-inspection grades; campaign finance reports and election results.
If you live in the unincorporated area of the county, you can go online to get a building permit application, find out whether a book is on the shelf at a county library, or get a phone number for the chairman of your planning group.
If you can't find what you need, requests for public information can be made verbally to individual departments. If the information is not provided, a written request can be filed with the department concerned or directly with the County Counsel's Office.
