Due to a new state requirement, Dartmouth has appointed 30 Records Access Officers, a position designed to manage requests for public information.

The new state provision outlines the ways in which the public can request information from their government, and will go into effect on January 1. It calls for the appointment of one Records Access Officer to handle public information requests, but Dartmouth officials struggled to find one person when town departments are spread through several buildings.

To satisfy the new requirement, the Select Board approved a list of 30 different Records Access Officers at the December 19 meeting. The list includes directors of town departments and chairs of various town boards. Town Administrator David Cressman said it was impossible for one single person to serve as the designated records officer, and the new policy would ensure access to information from every town department.

The list of Records Access Officers will be posted on the town’s website and at Town Hall in order to comply with the state law, Cressman said.

The new law also made changes to the time allowed to fulfill a request. Instead of merely responding to a request for records within 10 business days, inspection or copies of records must be made within 10 business days. It also changes how fees and appeals for records requests are handled.

The Town Clerk's office was Cressman’s original pick for the job, but the office would have required additional staff to take on the role, Cressman said.