Complaints against Claudio Velez, or Chicago's 'Tamale Guy' (Chicago 311 City Services)
| Multi Request | Complaints against Claudio Velez, or Chicago's 'Tamale Guy' |
| Submitted | May 14, 2020 |
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Communications
From: Alejandro Ruizesparza
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:
Any and all records, emails, complaints, or complaint letters mentioning any of the following terms:
- Claudio Velez
- Moshe Tamssot
-Tamale
-True West Loop
I would like to limit the scope of this request to records dated between April 1st, 2020 to the date of this request (May 14th, 2020). Do include any attachments contained in any of the responsive emails to be included in their full form (text documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint slides, etc).
The existence of complaints were described in the Chicago Eater's article "City Issues Cease and Desist to Chicago’s ‘Tamale Guy’ After Coordinated Complaints",
https://chicago.eater.com/2020/5/13/21253013/tamale-guy-claudio-velez-west-loop-complaints :
"[...] The complaints came through the city’s 311 hotline and via emails to 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez’s office. The city’s statement to Eater Chicago, issued by its Business Affairs and Consumer Protection department (BACP), mentioned that it 'has a responsibility to respond to all complaints to protect Chicagoans and ensure food safety standards are being met.'
[...]
Ald. Sigcho-Lopez confirms his office forwarded the emailed complaints to City Hall, as city council members routinely do with all complaints. He stresses that he never recommended the city to send a letter to Velez."
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
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 5 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Alejandro Ruizesparza
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Illinois Freedom of Information Act. request, copied below, and originally submitted on May 14, 2020. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Chicago 311 City Services
Thank you for your inquiry.
Your request was received by this office on May 18. FOIA regulations allow agencies five (5) working days to respond to a request [excluding weekends and holidays].
The due date on record is May 26; May 25 is a holiday [Memorial Day].
From: Chicago 311 City Services
Attached is the 311 City Services response to your FOIA request [Extension].
From: Chicago 311 City Services
Dear Mr. Ruizesparza,
Thank you for your patience and consideration.
Attached is the 311 City Services response to your FOIA request [Extension #2].
Please reply to this email with any questions.
Sincerely,
M.D. Ward
Freedom of Information Act Officer
311 City Services
From: Chicago 311 City Services
Dear Mr. Ruizesparza,
Attached is the 311 City Services response to your FOIA request.
* Cover Letter
* Responsive documents
Thank you for your continued patience and consideration during these unprecedented times.
Sincerely,
M.D. Ward
Freedom of Information Act Officer
311 City Services
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