PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST VIOLATIONS
(Compromise of the public process)

A blank Public Informatin Request form for the City of Sultan (Word) (Acrobat)

On a related topic of the compromise of the public participation/process, see our "Recording Wars" page (when the city used organized harassment in an attempt to stop us from recording public meetings)

If you have had similar experiences with the city re PIRs that you'd like to share, contact us.

From the beginning, our communication with the City has been rocky, at best, beginning with our request for a copy of the Garth York 40-acre annexation file in April, 2000 which took 6 weeks to fulfill. We compiled a history of delayed or mishandled PIR's, which includes some that died of non-fullfillment -- despite our super-human efforts to hold the City accountable -- and passed them along to the state auditor's office in November, 2003, along with a cover sheet. Some of the worst violations are listed below.

• Cover page to State Auditor (in Word, in Acrobat)
  Note: The first two communications shown below, on 4/14/00 and 5/23/00, were attached to this cover page, with the other documentation following as separate addendums.
  • First two written communications to Clerk Laura Koenig (dated 4/14/00); in Word, in Acrobat
  • First communication to Administrator Roy Bysegger (5/23/00), indicating my increased frustration with the City (in Word, in Acrobat)
• Compilation of problems during 2002 (in Word, in Acrobat)
• Compilation of problems during 2003 (in Word, in Acrobat)
• Update Reports to Koenig, trying to track outstanding PIRs: 5/28/02 (in Word)...6/25/02 (in Word)...and 7/16/02 (in Word) -- And an Acrobat file of all three combined

A request was made several times to both Koenig and Rowe, to be placed on a distribution list to receive notices, etc., which was simply ignored (in Word, Acrobat) for 3 1/2 years, except by Donna Murphy, who used to copy me occasionally on city notices, and as of the fall of 2003, Cyd Donk.

AND THE GRANDADDY of all violations, a request dating back to December, 5, 2001 for a comprehensive/understable list of claims that have been filed against the City of Sultan. This has not been fulfilled. (Note: Under state law, if this goes to court and we win, the city could be fined between $5.00 and $100.00 for each day this request has remained unfulfilled. As of 12/22/03, it's 747 days overdue, which would mean a file somehwere between $3,735 or $74,700. (in Word, in Acrobat)

FINALLY, a letter to Mayor Rowe and city attorneys Grant Weed and Thom Graafstra (in Word, Acrobat) on the city's organized harassment in an attempt to stop us from recording purblic meetings (See our "Recording Wars" page for photos and more)