Communications During Public Meetings - Trustee Carolyn Drblik

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

It is readily apparent that Niles-Maine District Library Board Trustee Carolyn Drblik is engaging in communications relating public business on privately owned device(s) during public meetings*.

Emails and text messages relating to public business are public records, even if those records are on privately owned devices. City of Champaign v. Madigan, 2013 IL App (4th) 120662, 992 N.E.2d 629, 372 Ill. Dec. 787; see also Public Access Opinion 16-006

To that effect we believe the community members served by this public body deserve transparency. We are requesting all email and text communications received and sent during public board meetings relating to public business and any resulting written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, text messages, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, etc.) between January 1, 2021 and the date this request is processed (inclusive of those dates).

*There are many instances but here is one example: https://youtu.be/OJF6ELOZ-FE?t=6472

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,

Northwestside Coalition

Hello,

On May 17th Assistant Attorney General of the Public Access Bureau, Teresa Lim, delivered a determination through their PAC review that the responses by the Niles-Maine District Library regarding this FOIA request violated FOIA. This letter has been delivered to Mr. Gregory J. Pritz as well as Mallory Miluzzi of Klein, Thorpe, & Jenkins.

In that determination the Attorney General requests:

“This office requests that the Library ask the trustees to perform additional searches of their personal accounts and devices for any responsive communications pertaining to Library business within the specified time period. The Library should disclose copies of any responsive records to ███████, subject to any permissible redactions.”

Please conduct additional searches and provide the resulting responsive records in accordance to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

Thank you.