Monday, January 22, 2007
In the “Believe It or Not” Category
I’ve been filing some (well, a lot of) Freedom of Information requests with the City of Crystal Lake.
To prove they are answering them, I get $6.64 certified letters (7 today) about everyone of them. (Really, 39 cents or a phone call is good enough to tell me information is ready to view.)
That's how I found out that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley said property in the Vulcan Lakes’ Tax Increment Financing district would not be condemned two months after the city council vote to condemn three parcels. (And, if you haven’t heard the TIF condemnation denial from his own mouth, you really should.)
I asked for
But, you don’t need a degree in public administration to know that decision-makers need to know the money that will be lost because the Crystal Lake Fire Department will fighting fires or answering ambulance calls in Lakewood this year.
So, did I ask my question in an incorrect form? What should I have asked?
Or is the Crystal Lake city council flying blind?
My guess is that the council members have been informed of this information.
To prove they are answering them, I get $6.64 certified letters (7 today) about everyone of them. (Really, 39 cents or a phone call is good enough to tell me information is ready to view.)
That's how I found out that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley said property in the Vulcan Lakes’ Tax Increment Financing district would not be condemned two months after the city council vote to condemn three parcels. (And, if you haven’t heard the TIF condemnation denial from his own mouth, you really should.)I asked for
Any report or other document estimating how much less money the fire department will have in 2007 as a result of not providing fire protection to the Village of Lakewood.The reply,
The City of Crystal Lake is unable to locate any documents that meet the criteria of your request at this time.Most probably don’t know that my master’s degree is in public administration.
But, you don’t need a degree in public administration to know that decision-makers need to know the money that will be lost because the Crystal Lake Fire Department will fighting fires or answering ambulance calls in Lakewood this year.
So, did I ask my question in an incorrect form? What should I have asked?
Or is the Crystal Lake city council flying blind?
My guess is that the council members have been informed of this information.
Labels: Aaron Shepley, Crystal Lake Fire Department, Freedom of Information Act, Tax Increment Financing District, TIF, Vulcan Lakes
Comments:
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Hmmmm - Maybe you need to refer to records - which would include more than just a solid document.
It really shouldn't be this hard to access PUBLIC information. They know what you want.
Dancing around technicalities is an insult to the public - I wonder why it happens so often with FOIA requests?
No, actually, I really don't "wonder". I think the public gets the drift.....
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It really shouldn't be this hard to access PUBLIC information. They know what you want.
Dancing around technicalities is an insult to the public - I wonder why it happens so often with FOIA requests?
No, actually, I really don't "wonder". I think the public gets the drift.....
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