Unlawful collection of documents once distributed.
Wilmington City Code § 2-161
in effectSec. 2-161. - Unlawful collection of documents once distributed.
(a) Prohibited acts. Any written materials that have been authorized to be distributed at a public meeting which is subject to the Delaware Freedom of Information Act, and have been so distributed, shall not be recalled by the issuing body. No city officer or employee who is the authorized provider, disseminator, or distributor (hereinafter "distributor") of any such written document or material at or during any meeting that is subject to the provisions of the Delaware Freedom of Information Act of any city committee, board, commission or other public body shall collect or cause or direct any other person to collect or attempt to collect from any recipient such document or any copy thereof, during, or at the conclusion of, or after such meeting at which the written document was so provided, disseminated or distributed.
(b) Exceptions. There shall be exceptions to the prohibition of collection of distributed documents set forth in subsection (a) hereof; they are:
(1) The collection or recall of any such written document or material pursuant to applicable provisions of the Delaware Freedom of Information Act;
(2) When any such recipient of any such document on a completely voluntary basis returns such written document to the distributor, as defined in subsection (a) hereof, during, at the conclusion of, or after such public meeting; and
(3) When any such recipient of any such written document leaves the written document or a copy thereof at the place of the public meeting when such recipient leaves the meeting and does not return, such that the written document shall thereafter be deemed to have been abandoned by such recipient and may be collected by the distributor of the written document prior to the distributor leaving the place of the meeting.
(Ord. No. 99-013, § 1, 2-26-99)
Source: City of Wilmington, Delaware, City Code, City Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/de/wilmington/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIWICO_CH2AD_ARTIVOFEM_DIV1GE_S2-161UNCODOONDIFetched: 11/6/2026