§ 7. Records; Reports.

(a) Required maintenance; Admissibility; Public inspection.

A suitable record of all the proceedings, financial transactions and official acts of all municipal agencies, shall be kept, and a certified copy of the record, or any part thereof, under the corporate seal of the City shall be admissible in evidence in any court of this State as proof of such record, or a part thereof. A record shall be available for public inspection unless otherwise expressly ordered by the head of the agency or the municipal officer by or on behalf of whom the record is kept; and in the event that written demand shall be made for the public disclosure of any matter deemed confidential by the head of an agency or by a municipal officer, the demand shall at once be referred to the Board of Estimates and the Board, after consultation with the City Solicitor as to the legal propriety of its action, may order the demanded disclosure to be made in whole or in part.

(b) Microfilm, etc.

The City may provide by ordinance for the making and keeping of all or some records on microfilm or by other method of reproduction and, when so made, for the destruction of the original records. Any such reproduction or print therefrom shall be in all respects the equivalent of the original from which made, and when authenticated as above provided shall be admissible in evidence in any court of this State as proof of that record, or part thereof.

(c) Annual report; Other information.

(1) Unless otherwise directed by the Board of Estimates, every municipal agency of the City shall prepare annually a written report of its work and proceedings. A copy of each report shall be filed with the Mayor and the City Administrator, and a copy shall also be filed with the Department of Legislative Reference; additional copies of each report, or parts thereof, shall be prepared and made available as from time to time may be directed by the Board of Estimates.

(2) Upon request of the Mayor, the City Administrator, or Board of Estimates every municipal agency shall promptly supply the Mayor, the City Administrator, or the Board with all requested information with respect to the practice and proceedings of the agency; provided, however, that this information need not be given with respect to any undetermined policy or opinion, nor shall the Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals make any disclosure as to any pending appeal other than to furnish a copy of the testimony and papers filed with it pertaining to that appeal.