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Monday, July 7, 2014

Public Records Requests for 2014 Include Emails and Information on Ward 5 Bar

While perusing the agenda for the Legislative Matters Committee meeting set for July 9th at 6:30pm, I couldn't help but notice the inclusion of a public records request list for 2014-as of May 9th. Always curious to see what types of records people like to request, I took a look and found a couple that jumped out at me.


Among the requests includes a February 25th request of "all records regarding The Pub," which I assume refers to the Ward 5/Ball Square establishment located at 682 Broadway. Of course, the list does not provide any information on the requester. No specific information was included in the request, nor a reason for it. The job was estimated at just over $50 with no indication whether it was completed. 

A March 7th inquiry requesting a list of email data surrounding property taxes is also included, but the report states that no such lists exists. The requester was given the option of receiving the actual emails. The request specifically asks for the following information: 
1. Time and date sent 
2. Author 
3. Recipients copied and blind copied 
4. Subject line 
For e-mails matching all three of the following criteria: 
1. Sent between 12 a.m., Nov. 20, 2013 and 12 a.m., Feb. 1, 2014 
2. Sent or received by one or more of the following: Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Chief Assessor Marc Levye, Communications Director Denise Taylor, City Solicitor Frank Wright 
3. At least one of the following words and phrases appears anywhere in the subject line or body of the e-mail: Property, tax, bill, rate, assessment, letter, Monica, Jimenez, Dan, Atkinson, journal, press release, Enrich 

The compiling of this public records request list is the result of legislative number 196362 requesting that the City Solicitor appear before this Board to describe the process for responding to requests for public records, including fees and redactions, and how this comports with the requirements of state law, the Secretary of State's Public Records Division, and the practices of other communities. This was approved at the March 13th Board of Aldermen meeting and has been included in the Legislative Matters agenda since then. The committee meets on Wednesday at 6:30 PM.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...why include Somerville Journal people on the email request??

Anonymous said...

Gewirtz wants to charge for plastic bags but give piles of paper away for free?

Anonymous said...

I would have expected a lot more for a few months worth.

Anonymous said...

What would they want with The Pub?! Weird...