Wold: FOIAs are not "Harassment"

 

Screenshot (Town of Greenwich Website)


Submitted by David C. Wold, Greenwich Resident and Veteran


As some of you might recall, First Selectman Fred Camillo brought up the increasing request for information (FOIA) from his transparent administration and as a response he promised to publish the names of who requested them and from what Department so we all could see how our tax dollars are spent. This came about due to what he called on the June 13th Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting in which he said,” we are getting harassed by a lot of people” and said many are “frequent requestors.”

This was on the steps of his second decision to re-introduce signup sheets for BOS meeting agendas.  I expressed that it is hard to show up (as Zoom sign up was not possible) and why sign up if we have not heard or seen any backup information prior to the meeting? A request for same to be presented either online or by applicant at the meeting has so far been ignored.

Such request would "block" those who attend to ask questions ‘when first heard about it’ and clearly not get answers before 2nd read on ‘spending of taxpayer’s money’.

I have to admit I have used the right to FOIA more and more frequently as this administration lacks the will (yes, I think it is personal) to give at their meetings a rather simple answer. Specifically, Department of Public Works (DPW), as they move forward with their projects ignoring public request for transparency until "after the fact."

One request with two questions was responded to six months later with nearly 1,000 document pages and another ‘out of the blue’ got answered 4 years later by a one-page answer etc. Others are still pending after more than a year and all ‘after the fact.”

But as you can see First Selectman Fred Camillo and his administration are tied down by FOIA request by people and companies who do not care or do not have the time to walk the halls of Town Hall and ask or attend the 1st and 2nd reading at BOS meetings. They are not “harassments” and if “frequent,” then it is likely due to lack of response or even a simple acknowledgement of the request by each office.

So, Mr. First Selectman, it is not always the taxpayers’ fault.

 


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