Stamford, Connecticut's inventory of vital records books and other source materials for pre-1900 vital records
It is a clone of this request.
| Tracking # |
A18-0405 |
| Submitted | June 2, 2018 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Linda MacLachlan
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Your office's catalog, inventory, index, log, report, or other listing of (1) the books in your possession or control which registrars used to record birth, marriages, deaths, and burials before 1900 (including any Land Records books and/or Town or Proprietors Meeting/Minutes/Record books which include any records of birth, marriages and deaths) and (2) other books, records, and documents in your possession or control which index, copy, regroup, reference or support town birth, deaths and marriages, including communications or reports of communication from ministers, justices of the peace, sextons, and other witnesses to any aspect of births, marriages, burials, and/or deaths prior to 1900.
I also request that, if possible and pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(d), fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest and not made for commercial gain. The requested documents will be processed by a representative of the news media/press and made available to the public at MuckRock.com.
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 4 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Linda MacLachlan
From: Town Clerk
To Linda MacLacklan, at MuckRockNews
Dear Linda,
We've received your FOIA request in our office today, and we'll forward it to our Legal Department.
Regards,
Lyda
Lyda Ruijter
City and Town Clerk
Government Center
888 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06901
203-977-5852
https://www.stamfordct.gov/town-clerk
From: Stamford Connecticut Property Assessor
Ms. MacLachlan:
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your above described request made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. The file number assigned to this matter is above. Please refer to this file number on all future correspondence.
Please be advised that we are researching Connecticut law applicable to the records which you requested and we will respond to you at such time as we have made a determination whether Connecticut statutes exempt from disclosure the documents which are the subject of your request. We will respond forthwith.
Burt Rosenberg
Asst. Corporation Counsel
City of Stamford
Tel: (203) 977-4085
From: Stamford Connecticut Property Assessor
Ms. MacLachlan:
Please be advised that the documents which you request are exempt from production pursuant to the Connecticut General Statutes.
Pursuant to CGS Section 7-51a(a), the City Clerk may make available uncertified copies of birth, marriage, death and fetal death certificates for births, marriages, deaths and fetal deaths that occurred at least one hundred years ago, to researchers approved by the Department of Vital Statistics pursuant to section 19a-25. Such researchers must be members of genealogical societies incorporated or authorized by the Secretary of the State to do business or conduct affairs in the State of Connecticut. Moreover, pursuant to CGS Section 7-51a(b), certain information, such as Social Security numbers, must be redacted from such records.
Based upon the foregoing statutory requirements, please be advised that the documents which are the subject of your FOI request are exempt from production.
Burt Rosenberg
Asst. Corporation Counsel
City of Stamford
Tel: (203) 977-4085
From: Linda MacLachlan
I do not seek copies of birth, marriage, death or fetal death certificates so the statute you cite is inapplicable. I merely seek the titles of the books and/or notebooks that contain them.
Thank you,
Linda MacLachlan
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Connecticut Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 2, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #A18-0405.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Town Clerk
Ms. McLachlan: You appear to misunderstand Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act. The Act requires a municipality to produce public records. A municipality has no obligation to manufacture a record which does not exist.
You state that you are seeking “the titles of the books and/or notebooks” which contain birth, marriage, death and fetal death certificates. The Town Clerk’s office does not maintain any inventory or any other document that lists the all the books that contain birth, marriage, death and fetal death certificates. No such document exists and the City has no obligation to create such a document under well-established case law interpreting the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.
We do not intend to respond to you further as we consider this matter to be closed.
Burt Rosenberg
Asst. Corporation Counsel
City of Stamford
Files
There are no files associated with this request.