Requesting and Obtaining Records via Email

The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) (NYS Public Officers Law, Sec. 87, Article 6) assures the public’s right to obtain government documents and records.FOIL requests must be in writing and must contain the date, a clear description of the information being requested, the requestor’s name and mailing address,and the number of copies requested.

Click here to get a "PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST" fill-in form in PDF format.

FOIL requests may be e-mailed to townclerk@town.ithaca.ny.us  or USPS mail or hand-delivered (weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to:

Town of Ithaca Records Management Officer

Town Clerk

215 N. Tioga St.

Ithaca, NY   14850

Telephone (607) 273-1721

Upon receiving a request that reasonably describes the record(s) sought, the Records Access Officer, who is also the Town Clerk, must respond within five (5) business days of receipt of the request.  If the Records Access Officer does not provide or deny access to the record(s) sought within five (5) business days of receipt of a request, the Officer will furnish a written acknowledgement of receipt of the request and a statement of the approximate date when the request will be granted or denied. If access to records is neither granted nor denied within ten (10) business days after the acknowledgement of receipt of a request, the request may be construed as a denial of access that may be appealed.

Denial of access will be in writing stating the reason and advising the person denied access of the right to appeal to the Town Supervisor. Any person denied access to records may appeal within thirty (30) days of a denial. An appeal shall be in writing and shall identify:

a. the date and location of a request for records;
b. the records that were denied, and;
c. the name and return address of the appellant.

The Town Supervisor shall transmit to the New York State Committee of Public Access to Records copies of all appeals upon receipt of an appeal. The Town Supervisor shall inform the appellant and the Committee on Public Access to Records of its determination in writing within ten (10) business days of receipt of the appeal, and the reason for denial, if the appeal is denied.

 

Copy charges and fees related to Freedom of Information Law are located in Ithaca Town Law, Sec. 153-4. Town Clerk:  Freedom of Information Law http://www.e-codes.generalcode.com/codebook_frameset.asp?ep=fs&t=ws&cb=1944_A

More information and a copy of the NYS Law is available from New York State’s Committee on Open Government Web site at http://www.dos.state.ny.us/coog/foil2.htm