Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard's Communications Regarding Recording in Public Buildings
| Submitted | June 1, 2023 |
| Due | June 8, 2023 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Jordan Lassiter
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request the following records:
Jordan Lassiter
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 146407
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Date: June 1, 2023
Mayor's Office
City of Mount Vernon
1 Roosevelt Square
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Attn: FOIA Officer
Subject: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – Communications of Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard Pertaining to Recording in Public Buildings
Dear FOIA Officer,
Under the provisions of the New York Freedom of Information Law, Article 6 of the Public Officers Law, I hereby request access to and copies of the following records:
1. All email communications, including associated metadata, sent or received by Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard (mayorsph@cmvny.com) related to the policy, legality, guidelines, or concerns about recording or filming in public buildings, especially the Mayor's office, from her tenure beginning to the present. Please preserve and provide these emails in their original .eml format, or a similar machine-readable format that retains all metadata and header information.
2. Any official policy documents, guidelines, or instructions provided to Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard or disseminated under her authority regarding the recording or filming in public buildings in Mount Vernon, including but not limited to, policy changes, briefing materials, and internal discussions.
3. Any communications or directives from Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard to city employees or to the public regarding restrictions, permissions, or the legality of recording or filming in public buildings in Mount Vernon.
Should any portion of the requested records be deemed exempt from disclosure, I request the release of any reasonably segregable non-exempt portions in accordance with the New York Freedom of Information Law. If an entire document is exempt, I request a justification, citing specific FOIA exemptions, and provision of an exemption log.
In support of this request, I refer to the following cases:
- National Day Laborer Organizing Network v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency: This case affirmed that metadata should generally be considered part of an electronic record.
- Capital Newspapers v. Burns: This case affirmed that the purpose of the Freedom of Information Law is to facilitate public access to governmental records.
Please note your obligation under the law not to destroy any records potentially responsive to this request. Any withholding, redaction, or destruction of responsive records without proper justification constitutes a violation of the FOIA and is subject to litigation.
I also request a waiver of all fees in connection with this request as disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. If the enclosed waiver is not accepted and there are any potential charges in excess of $200 associated with fulfilling my request, please inform me in advance.
As stipulated by the FOIA, I look forward to your response within five business days.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jordan Lassiter
Independent Investigative Journalist
TransparencyReport.pw
Email: Jordan@Lassiter.eu
Phone: 1-845-748-0329
Enclosure: Fee Waiver Request Letter
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,
Jordan Lassiter
From:
The following form was submitted via your website: FOIL Request Online Form
Full Name: Jordan Lassiter
Address: MuckRock News DEPT MR 146903, 263 Huntington Ave
City: Boston
State: MA
Zip Code: 02115
Phone Number: 617-299-1832
Email Address: requests@muckrock.com
Documents Requested & Date/Address or Time Period of the Documents: To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request the following records:
Jordan Lassiter
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 146407
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Date: June 1, 2023
Mayor's Office
City of Mount Vernon
1 Roosevelt Square
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Attn: FOIA Officer
Subject: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – Communications of Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard Pertaining to Recording in Public Buildings
Dear FOIA Officer,
Under the provisions of the New York Freedom of Information Law, Article 6 of the Public Officers Law, I hereby request access to and copies of the following records:
1. All email communications, including associated metadata, sent or received by Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard (mayorsph@cmvny.com) related to the policy, legality, guidelines, or concerns about recording or filming in public buildings, especially the Mayor's office, from her tenure beginning to the present. Please preserve and provide these emails in their original .eml format, or a similar machine-readable format that retains all metadata and header information.
2. Any official policy documents, guidelines, or instructions provided to Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard or disseminated under her authority regarding the recording or filming in public buildings in Mount Vernon, including but not limited to, policy changes, briefing materials, and internal discussions.
3. Any communications or directives from Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard to city employees or to the public regarding restrictions, permissions, or the legality of recording or filming in public buildings in Mount Vernon.
Should any portion of the requested records be deemed exempt from disclosure, I request the release of any reasonably segregable non-exempt portions in accordance with the New York Freedom of Information Law. If an entire document is exempt, I request a justification, citing specific FOIA exemptions, and provision of an exemption log.
In support of this request, I refer to the following cases:
- National Day Laborer Organizing Network v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency: This case affirmed that metadata should generally be considered part of an electronic record.
- Capital Newspapers v. Burns: This case affirmed that the purpose of the Freedom of Information Law is to facilitate public access to governmental records.
Please note your obligation under the law not to destroy any records potentially responsive to this request. Any withholding, redaction, or destruction of responsive records without proper justification constitutes a violation of the FOIA and is subject to litigation.
I also request a waiver of all fees in connection with this request as disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. If the enclosed waiver is not accepted and there are any potential charges in excess of $200 associated with fulfilling my request, please inform me in advance.
As stipulated by the FOIA, I look forward to your response within five business days.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jordan Lassiter
Independent Investigative Journalist
TransparencyReport.pw
Email: Jordan@Lassiter.eu
Phone: 1-845-748-0329
Enclosure: Fee Waiver Request Letter
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,
Jordan Lassiter
Attachments:
https://cdn.muckrock.com/outbound_composer_attachments/TheJ/122539/Fee_Waiver_Letter_copy.pdf
Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
I Hereby Apply To: Sent Electronic If Available
E-Signature: Jordan Lassiter
Date: 06/02/2023
Additional Information:
Form Submitted on: 6/2/2023 12:28:57 AM
Referrer Page: https://cmvny.com/FormCenter/Law-23/FOIL-Request-Online-Form-77
Form Address: https://cmvny.com/FormCenter/Law-23/FOIL-Request-Online-Form-77
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