By: Diane Benjamin
Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/03/18/denied-foia-normal/
The Town of Normal used 5 ILCS 140/7 (1)(f) to deny the FOIA.
A lot of Illinois law is ridiculous to read and contradicts itself, but the FOIA law isn’t one of those places.
See the FOIA law here: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/000501400K7.htm
What does (1)(f) actually say? The Town of Normal didn’t print the parts that made their denial illegal:
The document I requested by FOIA was mentioned in the budget. “Publicly cited” in that document by the City Manager who provided it to the entire Council means the claim to EXEMPTION is invalid.
I even included a copy of that section from the budget. Either attorney Brian Day is incompetent or the Town of Normal doesn’t want you to know what the report says.
Scott Preston and Kathleen Lorenz are the only two Trustees other than Stan Nord who “might” care about this. Email both and let me know if they respond.
Looks like Brian Day will be proven wrong again. This guy has been proven wrong so many times that he is less of an asset and more of an embarrassment for Normal.
Just doing what he’s told to do.
Brian Day is working/sitting for easy money. When the going gets a bit rough, get an outside law firm,,,and bill the citizens.
Nobody around here will take a case
“Either attorney Brian Day is incompetent or the Town of Normal doesn’t want you to know what the report says.”
Both!
Brian Day is not incompetent. He knows it is very unlikely that anyone will challenge him. Plus, he has no penalty if it gets overruled. He is accomplishing what he was tasked, which is to delay releasing the info for as long as possible. The content must be embarrassing. I expect the town is scrambling to rewrite the report and remove the negative truths. My guess is the report shows the lower income parts of town have the worst roads which looks bad for Pam’s narrative.
They do this because they CAN. Actually I am surprised they even release anything – especially to those they don’t like or agree with.
There just isn’t any meaningful consequence to their actions , and Day & Reece know it.