Request for Employees and Salaries related to specific MA TRC Interdepartmental Service Agreements

Josh Coffin filed this request with the Executive Office of the Trial Court of Massachusetts.
Due May 21, 2021
Est. Completion None
Status
Awaiting Response

Communications

From: Josh Coffin


To Whom It May Concern:

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

The Massachusetts Trial Court (and/or other) employee names and their salaries for the following Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interdepartmental Service Agreements (ISA)s:

1. ISADOR12010164TRC18A;
2. ISADOR12010164TRC18B;
3. ISADOR12010164TRC18C;

4. ISADOR12010164TRC19A;
5. ISADOR12010164TRC19B;
6. ISADOR12010164TRC19C;

7. ISADOR12010164TRC20A;
8. ISADOR12010164TRC20B;
9. ISADOR12010164TRC20C;

10. ISADOR12010164TRC21A

Due to size/space constraints only the first page of one of these ISAs has been attached for your reference. The attachment shows the MA Court Administrator's signature on the 2019 FY ISA between MA DOR and MA Trial Court [TRC]. I believe you have copies of all of these ISA as your Agency is a signatory on each of them.

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,

Josh Coffin

From: Executive Office of the Trial Court

Dear Mr. Coffin.

Attached please find an initial response to your public record request. A follow-up will be forthcoming.

Thank you,
Elizabeth

Elizabeth Barrett
Administrative Attorney
Executive Office of the Trial Court
Two Center Plaza, Suite 540
Boston, MA 02108

From: Executive Office of the Trial Court

I write to acknowledge receipt of a MuckRock News request dated 5/31 received in hard copy at the Executive Office of the Trial Court. This request for administrative records seeks employee names and salaries associated with ten ISA Agreements. The request indicates that it was originally submitted April 15, however the EOTC has no record of receiving that request. The May 31 request has been referred to the Legal Department for review and response.

Thank you.

Mary Rafferty

Mary F. Rafferty
Executive Office of the Trial Court
One Pemberton Sq. 1M-500
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: 617-878-0242
Cell: 617-733-4682

From: Executive Office of the Trial Court

Dear Mr. Coffin,

You recently submitted a request for employee names and salaries related to ISA the Trial Court has entered into with the Department of Revenue. Attached please find a spreadsheet with the requested information.

Thank you,
Elizabeth

___
Elizabeth Barrett
Office: 617-878-0271

From: Josh Coffin

Dear Elizabeth,

I'm very grateful and appreciate of your time, your response, as well as the information you have recently provided me. Unfortunately, this is not what I was looking for. It is my understanding that all the staff of the nineteen (19) Massachusetts Probate & Family Courts [listed here https://www.mass.gov/orgs/probate-and-family-court/locations] are "contracted" via these Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interdepartmental Service Agreements (ISA)s which the MA Trial Court has entered into with the MA Department of Revenue to do so. Please also take note that the ISAs listed in the original request (dated 4/21/2021) were provided to me in a previous MA Public Records Request, so I have read them. I believe you have copies of those ISAs on your end, since your Agency was a signatory on them, but if you need copies of certain ones, then please let me know.

I believe this will help clarify what I am looking for:
As an example, I do not see any of the 19 court Justices, such as Barnstable's First Justice Arthur C. Ryley, and/or any of the 19 court's Registers, such as Barnstable's Anastasia Welsh Perrino, listed anywhere in the information you have provided yet they are all in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (as part of the MA Trial Court) providing Title IV-D Services. In the 1989 case Wehunt v. Ledbetter [875 F. 2d 1558 - Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit 1989], it is clarified that Title IV-D Services are voluntary for a state to participate in and provide. As a result, we realize the fact that all IV-D program participants are then acting outside of their Judicial Branch government role and instead are then employed as "Title IV-D Contractors" providing those IV-D services, which includes (but not limited to) hosting "IV-D Administrative Hearings" at the nineteen (19) Massachusetts Probate & Family Courts.

Please let me know when you can provide the information originally requested and an ETA as well.

Thank you again for your time,
Josh Coffin

From: Executive Office of the Trial Court

Mr. Coffin,

I apologize for the misunderstanding. I will look into this and get back to you next week.

Thank you,
Elizabeth

___
Elizabeth Barrett
Office: 617-878-0271

From: Josh Coffin

Dear Elizabeth,

Your response dated 7/1/2021 stated: "I apologize for the misunderstanding. I will look into this and get back to you next week." Today is 7/9/2021 and I am seeking a status update on this MA public records request originally dated 4/21/2021.

Thank you again for your time,
Josh Coffin

From: Executive Office of the Trial Court

Mr. Coffin,

I looked into it and the list you were given are the only employees paid pursuant to the ISA with DOR.

Thank you,
Elizabeth

___
Elizabeth Barrett
Office: 617-878-0271

From: Josh Coffin

Dear Elizabeth,

Thank you for your response dated 7/9/2021. I would like to appeal this MA Public Records Request, but unfortunately your response did not include the appeals process or the contact information for your Agency's RAO Appeals Officer. Can you please provide this information to me?

Thank you again for your time,
Josh Coffin

From: Josh Coffin

Elizabeth,

Please hold on any appeal at this time as the math is not adding up as I explain:
In your 6/24/2021 response, you included a Spreadsheet. When adding all salaries in this Spreadsheet, we only get $1,459,739.48 and this Spreadsheet also includes employees from all different kinds of years.

Now let's compare the above almost $1.5 million dollar value to any of the ISA Budgets of which I originally requested information about. For transparency of everything, I have attached all of the ISA Budget information, so that both your Agency and the Public can see that the above number of $1,459,739.48 does not match ANY of these values:

1. ISADOR12010164TRC18A -> Total Budget = $1,785,176
2. ISADOR12010164TRC18B -> Total Budget = $1,533,602
3. ISADOR12010164TRC18C -> Total Budget = $1,441,380.26
4. ISADOR12010164TRC19A -> Total Budget = $1,866,260
5. ISADOR12010164TRC19B -> Total Budget = $1,724,748
6. ISADOR12010164TRC19C -> Total Budget = $1,881,937
7. ISADOR12010164TRC20A -> Total Budget = $1,704,552
8. ISADOR12010164TRC20B -> Total Budget = $1,859,697
9. ISADOR12010164TRC20C -> Total Budget = $2,014,842
10. ISADOR12010164TRC21A -> Total Budget = $1,536,516

If we add up the "Finals" of each year [the last revised Budget for each year], we get a grand total of $6,874,675.26 [Almost $7 million]!!!

I think both your Agency and the Public can agree that almost $7 million does not equal almost $1.5 million, which is what your response appeared to be claiming.

Both your Agency and the Public can clearly see above that my original request seeking employee names and their salaries under these ISAs has not been fulfilled yet as evidenced by none of the numbers matching up. Please respond with the requested information in the original request and please provide an ETA for that information.

Thank you again for your time,

Josh Coffin

From: Josh Coffin

Hi Elizabeth,

I am still awaiting a response from you.
I will again attach all of the Budgets for the ISAs for which my original request dated 4/21/2021 have requested.

Both your Agency and the Public will be able to clearly see (and agree) that the total amount of almost $7 million for these ISA's Budgets is much higher than the $1,459,739.48 from the only document you provided in your 6/24/2021 response. Both your Agency and the Public can clearly see above that my original request seeking employee names and their salaries under these ISAs has not been fulfilled yet as evidenced by none of the numbers matching up.

Please respond with the requested information in the original request and please provide an ETA for that information.

Thank you again for your time,

Josh Coffin

From: Josh Coffin

Hi Elizabeth,

On July 9, 2021, which was the last response received from you, you stated: "I looked into it and the list you were given are the only employees paid pursuant to the ISA with DOR."
On July 22, 2021, I responded back to you. Using basic math addition, I then showed you that what you provided to me on 6/24/2021 only totalled up to $1,459,739.48 yet the total amount of the ISAs was almost $7 million. $5.5 million doesn't just disappear! To refresh your memory, I haved attached all of the Budgets for the ISAs for which my original request dated 4/21/2021 requested as well as the document you provided on 6/24/2021.

It is 100% clear here that the total amount of almost $7 million for these ISA's Budgets is much higher than the $1,459,739.48 from the only document you provided in your 6/24/2021 response. Both your Agency and the Public can clearly see above that my original request seeking employee names and their salaries under these ISAs has not been fulfilled yet as evidenced by none of the numbers matching up. Please respond with the requested information in the original request and please provide an ETA for that information.

Thank you again for your time,

Josh Coffin

From: Josh Coffin

Hi Elizabeth,

I have made attempts to respond to you, but you continue to remain unresponsive. I'm not sure if you have not received them or what is going wrong here. My unanswered responses are dated 7/22, 7/28, 8/12, 8/27, 9/13, and 9/24 - that's six (6) times and I am still waiting a response from you.

On July 9, 2021, which was the last response I did receive from you, you stated: "I looked into it and the list you were given are the only employees paid pursuant to the ISA with DOR."
On July 22, 2021, I responded back to you. Using basic math addition, I then showed that what you did provide to me on 6/24/2021 only totalled up to the amount of $1,459,739.48 yet the total amount of the ISAs was almost $7 million. There is a $5.5 million discrepency here. To refresh your memory, I haved attached all of the Budgets for the ISAs for which my original request dated 4/21/2021 requested as well as the document you provided on 6/24/2021.

It is very clear here that the almost $1.5million from the "DOR_employees.xlsx" file, which you provided to me, is NOT the same value as the $7million seen in the "almost-7-million-dollar-ISA-budget-total.pdf" file. Both your Agency and the Public can clearly see above that my original request seeking employee names and their salaries under these ISAs has not been fulfilled yet as evidenced by none of the numbers matching up. Please respond with the requested information in the original request and please provide an ETA for that information.

Thank you again for your time,

Josh Coffin

From: Josh Coffin

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Massachusetts Public Records Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on April 15, 2021. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a complete response to my original request as only a partial response has been received to date.

Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

From: Josh Coffin

To Whom It May Concern:

I'm following up with your Agency regarding the following Massachusetts Public Records Law request originally submitted on April 15, 2021, which has been attached for your convenience. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a complete response to my original request as only a partial response has been received to date. Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

Thank you again for your time,

Josh Coffin

From: Josh Coffin

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Massachusetts Public Records Law request, originally submitted on April 21, 2021. 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: Josh Coffin

To Whom It May Concern:

I want to follow up on the following Massachusetts Public Records Law request originally submitted on April 21, 2021. 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.

Files

pages

Close