Sec. 501.1. Purpose and scope

(a) Public understanding of the process of government decisionmaking is essential to a free and democratic society. That understanding is enhanced by providing maximum public access to the documents and data upon which government policy is made. Accordingly, the authority's policy with respect to requests for its records is that disclosure is the rule and withholding is the exception. All records not exempt from disclosure will be made available. Moreover, records which may be exempt from disclosure will be made available as a matter of discretion when disclosure is not prohibited by law, or is not harmful to the public interest.

(b) This Part provides information concerning the procedures by which records may be requested, reviewed and obtained.

(c) Any conflicts among laws governing public access to records shall be construed in favor of the widest possible availability of public records.