PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona appellate court has ruled that a nondisclosure agreement between the town of Queen Creek and a utility is void because the town must obey the state's public records law and disclose documents provided by the utility.
Johnson Utilities LLC contended that its documents sought by Arizona Corporation Commission member Andy Tobin contain confidential business matters, but the Court of Appeals ruling Tuesday says the documents are public records related to government activities and that the nondisclosure agreement doesn't trump Arizona's public records law.
The ruling says Johnson Utilities provided the documents to Queen Creek during discussion of a possible transaction that wasn't completed and that the documents apparently include a report identifying where the utility's current utility infrastructure does not meet the town's standards.
