Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA, Open Records Request, Bobbi Anne Hancock asked Allan Ricketts why a bunch of agendas and minutes should cost $125.09? She received back this itemized invoice:
Apparently the lowest paid VLCIA employee who can convert documents to PDF is paid $24.23 an hour. According to Georgia Code 50-18-71:
(d) In addition, a reasonable charge may be collected for search, retrieval, and other direct administrative costs for complying with a request under this Code section. The hourly charge shall not exceed the salary of the lowest paid full-time employee who, in the discretion of the custodian of the records, has the necessary skill and training to perform the request; provided, however, that no charge shall be made for the first quarter hour.Or maybe they didn’t know where their minutes were and had to search for them.
Let’s look at 50-18-71.2:
Any agency receiving a request for public records shall be required to notify the party making the request of the estimated cost of the copying, search, retrieval, and other administrative fees authorized by Code Section 50-18-71 as a condition of compliance with the provisions of this article prior to fulfilling the request as a condition for assessment of any fee; provided, however, that no new fees other than those directly attributable to providing access shall be assessed where records are made available by electronic means.Is converting to PDF directly attributable to providing access?
And then there’s this:
(e) An agency shall utilize the most economical means available for providing copies of public records.Um, wouldn’t that be email? Or why didn’t they just convert all the agendas and minutes and stick them up on their website so anybody else who wanted to see them could?
Maybe that’s too hard for an organization that took six weeks to put its own videos of its own “Forum” up on its website. The “Forum” with a panel of nothing but paid “experts” on which the Industrial Authority spent more than $17,000.
-jsq
Short Link:
so it’s like sure the public can access these records…IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT. Isn’t that a a bit discriminitory towards poor people like me who are barely getting by? And let’s see, at $25.00 an hour, wouldn’t you think the person handling the records request could be a wee bit more efficient? According to Alan Ricketts, that person would be Lu Williams. Lu is the Operations Manager. But wait…wouldn’t you think that the lowest paid employee would be the receptionist, Donna Holland? Is she making more than the operations manager? Surely not.
What also puzzles me is that the IA had to take these records to their attorney, Steve Gupton, for “review” before they could be released to me.
One other issue I have had is the constant insistance from Alan Ricketts that I need to come in to his office and have a “sit down” conference about the issues of biomass; the subject for which these records were requested. I have repeatedly denied his requets. Im really starting to wonder what other “agendas” Ricketts may have on his mind BESIDES biomass??? I dont like being patronized or intellectually insulted, nor do I like being talked to like Im deaf, dumb and blind. Sorry Ricketts…you’re creepy and you lie. All the things you say about biomass are lies. I’m not asleep. I am fully awake and aware! You dont fool me VLCIA…Im on to your corruptness. The OWL is watching you VLCIA so you better tighten up!!!
5 hours to drag-and-drop copies of minutes onto a flash drive, or nearly 5 minutes for each meeting? If true, then they certainly need a new form of organization at the IA.
Or a one-line shell script. -jsq
I asked for such an itemized bill for my open records request and never got it because Gupton said they didn’t need to give it to me.
Ricketts is till pissed off that I didn’t pick that up but he was unable to comply with my request for an itemized bill.
Ricketts had to take notes as I sat in his office stating what I expected in an itemized bill: cost of materials, hourly wage of worker, and hours worked. The bill (above) shows he is now up to speed on the issue.
trust me…the itemized bill wasnt just handed to me. I insisted upon it! Even had to ask five times and finally told Rickett’s I was only going to ask for it ONE MORE TIME (as he did his prissy ballet around my question. )Rickett’s said he’d have to check with the attorney. He must of did and Gupton must of told him to let me have it. I wasnt backing down until I got it.
I am not a lawyer, but it looks to me like 50-18-71.2 requires providing an itemized invoice. -jsq
Bobbi, You don’t have to pay it, they are still required to give it to you. Call up Attorney General Sam Olens’ office and complain, Bobbi. That’s what we did the first time they tried to charge me $350 for an Open Records Request.
When I was forwarded emails (from anonymous source) from Brad Lofton in which he stated to his private list of private stakeholders to please not take their issues public because Lofton didn’t want to “energize” a public forum, then I knew the Industrial Authority had some serious issues that needed serious attention. I immediately forwarded everything to the Valdosta Daily Times and I hope you will, too, Bobbi.
Bobbi, also ask Attorney General Sam Olens about the Valdosta Daily Times editorial alleging Ricketts of giving them false documents. And show them this blog wherein Mr. Quarterman says “either Ricketts did it with Board approval or without Board approval” and ask them what the situation is if a government entity files false documents in response to an Open Records Request.
Oh btw, Mayor Fretti thought the Times over-sensationalized that part of the story. I dunno, Mayor Fretti, I pretty much think you over-reacted when you arrested me for trying to participate in my own Citizens to be Heard at City Council a few years ago, so I think you might just be quiet about the Times’ editorial decisions, they know a whole lot more about the First Amendment than you do.
Hi Al, how ya doing? Give my love to your family.
PS, the “requirement” of asking an attractive young woman to come to his office for a sit-down conference before releasing documents to her? That is something that Bobbi ought to be talking to an attorney about. Creepy is right.
John, while also nowhere near a lawyer, I’d agree that 50-18-71.2 seems to require an itemized invoice. It’s ridiculous that you’d have to ask several times, Bobbi, but ridiculous and the IA seem to go well together.
And this is actually Alex, Leigh, but I’ll share the love with Dad and the rest of the family!
Wow, I cannot believe you are this old! I thought that was your dad who wrote that excellent LTE re: the health care bill. Good for you, Alex!
The VDT knows about all this. Stay tuned.
And yes, apparently the Valdosta mayor and several members of the Valdosta City Council read this blog. -jsq
I just read the front page article in today’s Valdosta Daily Times on the open records request issue from Bobbi Hancock. It’s pretty obvious the officals at IA are now in defensive mode. They’ve got their attorney Steve Gupton out front now and he stated: “We’re going to do it together or we’re not going to do it” (said to the Times, after refusing to answer questions over the telephone). I don’t blame you, Mr. Gupton, I would not answer any questions either unless those Board members were right there participating, because they have to take responsibility for this situation. They hired Lofton and they hired Ricketts.
Ricketts said “We have provided the information that you requested and if you would like to discuss this any further, I would suggest that you speak with Jerry Jennett, our chairman. I have no further comment.”
Just remember Bobbi, you have a ton of people who support you and will back you up on this! There is no need for you to have to pay $125 for an open records request and no reason for you to have to go in and talk with Mr. Ricketts. I think you should contact Attorney General Sam Olens and see what he has to say about this!
IA: You are going down. We’re tired of all of your corruption!