A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Staunton, Illinois, regarding residential and commercial building permits on October 30, 2024. The request was made by us at South Central Reporter, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The request specifically sought records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. We asked for a list of all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, up until the date of the request. The desired fields included the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester's name, address and contractor name.
In addition to this, we also requested a list of all active residential and commercial building permits along with their current status. The same fields were required for these permits as well.
As a media organization committed to holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public, access to such public records is essential for us in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. Given our role in disseminating information to the public, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
We are currently awaiting a response from the City of Staunton regarding this FOIA request.
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