[HISTORY: Adopted 1-19-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-01-03. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Illinois Freedom of Information act provides that "all persons
are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs
of government and official acts and policies of those who represent
them as public officials and public employees consistent with the
terms of this Act. Such access is necessary to enable the people to
fulfill their duties of discussing public issues fully and freely,
making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure
that it is being conducted in the public interest.
This statutory provision applies to all information collected,
assembled, or maintained by a public body in the course of its official
business that is to be made available during normal business hours
for inspection or copying. It assures that a written request for information
will receive a timely response and allows the organization to recoup
any production costs incurred by supplying a response.
The Village is committed to providing citizens and taxpayers
access to applicable public records under the Act. The intent of this
policy is to clarify the requirements and to assist staff in the compliance
of both the letter and the spirit of the Act. The Act is not to violate
individual privacy, nor to further commercial enterprise, nor to disrupt
the work of any public body. The spirit of the Act is to minimize
the restraints of information access by limiting exceptions to the
general rule that the people have a right to know the decisions, policies,
procedures, rules, standards and other aspects of government activity
that affect the conduct of government and the lives of any or all
of the people.
The Village is a municipal entity dedicated to providing its
residents and taxpayers with services for their safety, health and
environment.
An organizational chart is attached.
The Village is a municipal entity supported primarily by taxes.
The total amount of the Village's operating budget for FY2010
is: $__________.
The Village Hall is located at this address: 114 East Main Street,
Brownstown, Illinois 62418.
[Amended 9-23-2013 by Ord. No. 13-09-01]
The Village employs the following number of persons:
(A)
Full-Time: four.
[Amended 9-23-2013 by Ord. No. 13-09-01]
The Board of Trustees exercises control over the policies and
procedures for the Village. The Board meets monthly on the third Tuesday
of each month, 7:00 p.m. at the Village Hall in the Board Room. Its
members include:
|
Virginia Wilber
|
Acting Village President/Village Trustee
|
|
Robin Lovett
|
Village Clerk
|
|
Karen Morrison
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Village Treasurer
|
|
Don Lovett
|
Village Trustee
|
|
Zach Townsend
|
Village Trustee
|
|
Jodi Winkler
|
Village Trustee
|
|
Mike Fitch
|
Village Trustee
|
|
Nikki Sidwell
|
Village Trustee
|
(A)
Request form must be completed (FOIA Request Form).
There is no requirement under this Act to respond to oral requests
or to provide information other than what already exists in the records.
(B)
Request should be directed to: Robin Lovett, Village
Clerk, FOIA Officer for the Village at the Village Clerk's Office,
114 East Main Street, Brownstown, Illinois 62418.
[Amended 9-23-2013 by Ord. No. 13-09-01]
(C)
The request must specify the records requested
to be disclosed for inspection or to be copied. If you desire that
any records be certified, you must specify which ones. Legal counsel
may be solicited to advise as to the proper response to the request.
(D)
The Village FOIA Officer shall note the date upon
which the Village received the written request, compute the day on
which the period for response will expire and note that date on the
written request. The Village FOIA Officer shall maintain an electric
or paper copy of a written request along with any and all documents
submitted with the request until the records have been disclosed or
the request has been denied. The Village FOIA Officer shall create
a file for the retention of the original request, a copy of the response,
a record of written communications with the requester; and a copy
of other communications.
(E)
Within five business days of the receipt of a
written request to the FOIA Officer, unless otherwise provided by
the Act, the Village will respond with written information regarding
access to the information, request an extension under the Act, or
deny the request in writing.
(F)
The Village may extend the five business day period
for an additional five business days if it can demonstrate that certain
conditions exists pursuant to the Act. If the Village seeks an extension
under the Act, it must within the original five business days, notify
the requester in writing of the reasons for the extension and of the
new due date.
(G)
Denial of the request will occur if the public
records request fall within one of the specific exemptions of the
Act, or in those situations where the public body does not have either
a right of access or ownership of the information. If only part of
the request is denied, and access will be given to the remainder,
it will be stated in the response. Any denial will include the reason,
including a detailed factual basis for any exemption claimed; citation
to supporting legal authority for any exemption claimed; a notice
of the right to a review of the denial by the Public Access Counselor,
including the contact information of the Public Access Counselor and
notice that the requester has a right to judicial review under the
Act.
(H)
Reimbursement for actual costs for reproducing
and certifying (if requested) the records will be charges as follows:
first 50 pages for black and white, letter or legal size copies are
free each page thereafter shall be charged at $0.15 per page for copied
records and $1 for certification of record. For color or abnormal
sized copies and electronic copies (tape, CD, disk, etc.) the Village
shall charge the actual costs for copying.
(I)
If a request is for a commercial purpose; then
the Village has 21 business days to provide an initial response in
writing. The response may consist of providing the records; provide
the requester with an estimate as to when the records will be available
and estimated costs; denying the record under an exemption or notifying
the requester that the request is unduly burdensome. Requests made
by news media, not-for-profit organizations shall not be considered
commercial if they are made for the purposes of journalism, research
or similar purpose.
