The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Office of the Ombudsman and Public Services ensures communication with the general public by acting as a liaison to the agency’s programs. The Office assists the public with agency issues, facilitates public records requests, fosters effective and open communication, promotes responsiveness and provides information for the public. The Office is also the primary contact for public records requests.

Open Government Frequently Asked Questions & Information

1. What does Open Government mean?
2. What is a public record?
3. How much can the Department of Environmental Protection charge for public documents?
4. How long does it take to fulfill a public records request?
5. Is the Department of Environmental Protection required to give out information from public records or produce public records in a particular form?
6. If I want to review records at a Department of Environmental Protection office, when can I do so?
7. How can I submit a public records request to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection?
8. Who can I contact with a question or concern about DEP’s programs, divisions or districts?
9. Is there information readily available online?

1. What does Open Government mean?

   Florida enjoys an exceptionally broad public records law. Open Government, or Government-in-the-Sunshine, provides a right of access to governmental proceedings at both the state and local levels. It is applicable to both elected and appointed boards and has been applied to any gathering of two or more members of the same board to discuss some matter which will foreseeable come before that board for action. There is also a constitutionally guaranteed right of access to meetings of collegial public bodies. Virtually all state and local collegial public bodies are covered by the open meetings requirements with the exception of the judiciary and the state Legislature which have their own constitutional provisions relating to access.

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2. What is a public record?

   The Florida Supreme Court has determined that public records are all materials made or received by an agency in connection with official business which are used to perpetuate, communicate or formalize knowledge. They are not limited to traditional written documents. Tapes, photographs, films and sound recordings are also considered public records subject to inspection unless a statutory exemption exists. For more information, see Chapter 119.07, Florida Statutes.

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3. How much can the Department of Environmental Protection charge for public documents?

   By law, DEP may charge 15 cents per one-sided copy for copies that are 14" x 8 1/2" or less, and 20 cents per double-sided copy. DEP may charge actual cost of duplication for all other copies.

   Audio and video tapes may cost from $1.30 to 1.83 per tape, and disks may be provided at a cost of 85 cents per CD-ROM or $1.15 per DVD. A charge of up to $1 per copy may be assessed for a certified copy of a public record, and the requestor is responsible for the cost of mailing the records. Other costs for the actual cost of duplication may be charged when the public records are produced using a material other than the ones listed above.

   If the nature and volume of the records to be copied requires extensive use of information technology resources or extensive clerical or supervisory assistance, or both, DEP may charge for labor costs based on the costs incurred. Being clear and specific in your request is important in reducing the potential for unnecessary costs for both the department and the requester.

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4. How long does it take to fulfill a public records request?

   Florida law states that an agency must respond within the “limited reasonable time” it takes an agency to retrieve and record the record, and delete those portions of the record that are exempt. The length of time it takes DEP to provide the records varies somewhat with the volume of the request but DEP is committed to providing requested records as quickly and efficiently as possible.

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5. Is the Department of Environmental Protection required to give out information from public records or produce public records in a particular form?

   The Sunshine Law addresses the right to access, inspect, and copy existing public records but it does not mandate that an agency give out information from the records or create new records to accommodate a request for information. In addition, an agency is not generally required to reformat its records to meet a requestor’s particular needs.

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6. If I want to review records at a Department of Environmental Protection office, when can I do so?

   If you have determined that the records you are requesting are located at a particular DEP office and you would like to review the records in person, you may do so during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary but you may wish to call ahead to ensure location of the records prior to your visit. District contacts are listed below. Contact information for the program offices is located here.

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7. How can I submit a public records request to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection?

   It is easy for you to make a public records request from DEP. You may request a record by e-mail, regular mail, telephone, fax or in person.

   To expedite your request, carefully consider the information that will be useful to you. Very broad requests can take longer for DEP to provide and may become costly for you. If you know the program office or district office where the records are likely located, you may send your request directly to that office or district to help facilitate quick fulfillment. District contacts are listed below and program office contact numbers are listed here. If you are unsure where the records are located, you can send your request to:

   Department of Environmental Protection
   3900 Commonwealth Blvd, Mail Slot 49
   Email: citizensservices@dep.state.fl.us
   Phone: 850-245-2118
   Fax: 850-245-2128

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8. Who can I contact with a question or concern about DEP’s programs, divisions or districts?

   You can contact the Office of the Ombudsman & Public Services, DEP’s Program or District Offices, or submit a question or comment online by clicking here, DEP Public Services. Comments submitted to this site are received directly by Public Services staff who monitor the site continually throughout the day during each business day.

   Office of the Ombudsman & Public Services
   3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 49
   Tallahassee, FL 32399
   (850) 245-2118 (phone)
   (850) 245-2128 (fax)

   Contact a Program

   Public Services Contacts by DEP District

   Northwest District:
   Brandy Smith (Brandy.M.Smith@dep.state.fl.us)
   160 Governmental Center, Pensacola, Florida 32502
   (850) 595-0695
   Counties: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson (Western half), Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, & Washington

   Northeast District:
   Russell Simpson (Russell.Simpson@dep.state.fl.us)
   7825 Baymeadows Way, Suite B200, Jacksonville, FL 32256
   (904) 256-1653
   Counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, & Union

   Southwest District:
   Ana Gibbs (Ana.Gibbs@dep.state.fl.us)
   13051 N Telecom Parkway, Temple Terrace, Florida 33637
   (813) 632-7600 *475
   Counties: Citrus, Desoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Sumter, Marion County, (West of I-75)

   Southeast District:
   Cristina Llorens (Cristina.Llorens@dep.state.fl.us)
   400 N Congress Avenue, Suite 200, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
   (561) 681-6605
   Counties: Broward, Dade, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, & St. Lucie

   Central District:
   Lisa Kelley (Lisa.Kelley@dep.state.fl.us)
   Address: 3319 Maguire Blvd, Suite 232, Orlando, Florida 32803-37677
   (407) 897-2910
   Counties: Brevard, Indian River, Lake, Marion (East of I-75), Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia

   South District:
   Terry Cerullo  (Terry.Cerullo@dep.state.fl.us)
   Address: 2295 Victoria Avenue, Fort Myers, Florida 33901
   (239) 344-5647
   Counties: Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee & Monroe

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9. Is there information readily available online?

   Records and information may be readily available at no cost via one of DEP’s online resources. Visit the DEP Business Portal.

   In addition, DEP has compiled some of the most requested and useful information within the statistical abstract. The public may also visit DEP’s Citizen Quick Reference Guide and acronym listing helpful in locating information.

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