The Kansas Attorney General’s office in Topeka has been called to investigate a complaint filed under the Kansas Open Records Act against the Ellsworth City Council.

Patrick Hoffman, city attorney, updated members of the Ellsworth City Council on the matter at Monday’s council meeting.

“As you guys remember, we had an open records request a while ago, which Rusty (Varnado, city administrator) and I responded to; Hoffman said. “The requester wasn’t completely satisfied with our answers, so they actually asked the attorney general to look into it:’

Hoffman said he was prepared to respond to the attorney general.

“I say it’s nothing to worry about because I don’t want the council to worry, but we will comply with absolutely everything the attorney general’s office wants from us:’

He advised council members to keep all of their city-related correspondence that is in any form.

“Do not delete anything; Hoffman said.

In an e-mail to the Independent-Reporter Tuesday morning, Hoffman said the following:

“The City did not withhold any documents from our KORA search to the requester. The city searched its e-mails and electronic databases but the city does not store text messages so those were not searched, and the city may not have the legal right to search cell phones, that will be determined by the Attorney General’s office and the city will comply with whatever that office instructs us to do:’

Varnado said the council needs to once again discuss each council member getting city e-mails to receive city information.

“I’m very hesitant to do it because you probably get two to three e-mails a month and that is kind of a pretty hefty expense he said. “But we’re going to look at that in another week or so.”

In other business:

• As of March 8, the council will go back to conducting in-person council meetings instead of Zoom only meetings.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth City Council will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 8, at city hall.