Water system privatization - FWW (100) (Boston Water and Sewer Commission)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Materials related to agreements and proposals, solicited and unsolicited, for the ownership, operation and/or management responsibilities of the water system, the sewer system, a water treatment plant, and/or wastewater treatment (or any portions thereof), including (but not limited to) those materials referencing the entities listed below.

Please include as responsive the following records:
1. Agreements: Any contracts, services agreements, memorandums of understanding, or like agreements related to the ownership, operation and/or management responsibilities of the water system, the sewer system, a water treatment plant, and/or wastewater treatment (or any portions thereof);

2. Procurement: Any request for qualifications, request for proposals, or other bids (both solicited and unsolicited) for the ownership, operation and/or management of the water system, the sewer system, a water treatment plant, or a wastewater treatment; and

3. Communications: For the period between January 1, 2018 and May 1, 2019, any communication (including postal mail, emails, memoranda, meeting agenda or minutes, presentations, and text messages) between representatives of each utility (including the directors of the utility, general managers, the purchasing director, and any other applicable utility representatives) and representatives from water companies or other private water system operators, including:
a. Suez (domain: suez-na.com), including “Jim.Perron@suez-na.com”
b. Veolia
c. American Water or a state affiliate, subsidiary, or representative
d. Aqua America or a state affiliate, subsidiary, or representative

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest, as suggested but not stipulated by the recommendations of the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

I expect the request to be filled in an accessible format, including for screen readers, which provide text-to-speech for persons unable to read print. Files that are not accessible to screen readers include, for example, .pdf image files as well as physical documents.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Beryl Lipton