Open Records Request - 1/25/05
City Council Appointed Board Membership and New
TIF Appointees
Note: Our city has
created Tax Increment Financing Districts and appointed themselves to the boards
that control all funds from the TIFs. We are seeking who is on what board
and also what discussion occurred prior to the appointment of new board members
at the last council meeting.
-------- Original Message --------
Dear Ms. Hutson:
This is a request under the Texas Open Records Act, chapter 552 of the
Government Code (formerly V.T.C.S. article 6252) as well as Article I, Sec. 8 of
the Texas Constitution, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,
the common law of the State of Texas and any statue providing for public access
to government information.
I request that I be sent copies of the following documents or, if there
are a large number, be permitted to inspect the following documents and receive
copies of the ones I would like:
1) A listing by Council Member of each board or commission they currently
serve on as a result of prior council action. Such list should include the date
of appointment, nomination or election and the expiration date of such term of
appointment.
2) A copy of any emails, memos or other correspondence between any council
member and any other council member or city employee regarding or mentioning the
appointments to the TIF boards that occurred on 1/25/05. This request extends
to any related discussion on either TIF Board that has occurred in the last 30
days.
If you have any questions about the nature or scope of this request, please call
me at the phone number listed below. If you determine that all or some portion
of the information requested is excepted from required disclosure, I request
that you provide me with the portions of the requested information that are
public and reasonably segrable from that which you believe is excepted. If any
records are in active use or in storage, please certify this fact in writing and
set a date and hour within a reasonable time when the records will be available,
as required by section 552.221 of the Act. If you determine that all or some
portion of the information requested is excepted from required public disclosure
under a particular exception, I request that you advise me as to which
exceptions you believe apply. If you rely on previous determination, please
advise me of the applicable court decision or Attorney General's opinion. If
there is no such determination, please advise me of the request for such an
opinion, as required under section 552.301 of the Act, and a dated copy of your
letter to the Attorney General. I call your attention to section 522.353 of the
Act, which provides penalties for a failure to release public records. I am
prepared to pay reasonable costs for copying, within the guidelines set by
sections 552.261, 552.262, 552.263, 552.267, 552.268, 552.269.
Thank you for your attention to this and I expect to hear from your office
within ten days.
Sincerely,
Ron C. West
Compliance: None to date.