17-IB52 10/9/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Kevin Ohlandt re: FOIA Complaint Concerning DelTech Community College
Petitioner requested that this Office determine whether certain Del Tech entities are public bodies subject to FOIA. DECIDED: The Collegewide Criminal Justice Advisory Board was determined to be a public body. This Office recommends minutes of its January 13, 2017 meeting be made available to the public and that the Board comply with the public records and open meetings requirements of FOIA going forward. The College Educational Foundation is not a public body; however, if a quorum of the Board of Trustees, as members of that Foundation, is present at a meeting and public business is discussed, such meetings should be considered a meeting of the Board of Trustees and must comply with FOIA. No other entity named in the complaint was found to be a public body.
Read More17-IB51 10/9/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Ms. Amy Cherry re: FOIA Complaint Concerning New Castle County Council
Petitioner alleged that New Castle County Council improperly denied her request for certain emails involving county business or to certain employees sent from the Council President’s personal email account. DECIDED: This Office determined that the Council violated FOIA by providing by failing to provide a timely response to the request and by denying the request in its entirety. We recommended that the Council collect and review records consistent with this Office’s determination and provide all non-exempt records within 10 business days of the determination.
Read More17-IB50 10/6/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Ms. Dell Tush re: FOIA Complaint Concerning The Town of Dewey Beach
Petitioner alleged that the Town of Dewey Beach violated FOIA by failing to post notice of certain meetings at least seven days in advance DECIDED: Any question regarding compliance with respect to cancelled meetings is moot. The September 13 agenda sufficiently noticed a permissible purpose for executive session. As we determined in Attorney General Opinion No. 17-49, the Town’s conduct with respect to timely notice of the September 13 meeting was, at most, a technical violation for which no remediation is warranted. Finally, the Town provided timely notice of its September 22 meeting.
Read More17-IB49 9/29/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Richard Cross re: FOIA Complaint Concerning The Town of Dewey Beach
Petitioner alleged that the Town of Dewey Beach violated FOIA by failing to post notice of certain meetings at least seven days in advance and that the noticed purposes for the executive sessions of those meetings were inadequate. DECIDED: Any question regarding compliance with respect to cancelled meetings is moot. The September 13 agenda sufficiently noticed a permissible purpose for executive session. The Town’s conduct with respect to timely notice of the September 13 meeting was, at most, a technical violation for which no remediation is warranted.
Read More17-IB48 9/27/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Xerxes Wilson re: FOIA Complaint Concerning New Castle County Council
Petitioner alleged that the Personnel Subcommittee violated FOIA by: 1) failing to indicate the potential for any vote other than a vote to approve meeting minutes on its August 14, 2017 meeting agenda, and 2) voting affirmatively on “the recommendations and discussions that Council collectively had during the executive session.” DECIDED: Based on a review of documents submitted in camera, this Office determined the vote held was only to direct counsel to conduct legal research on a personnel matter discussed in executive session. Under the circumstances, this was not “major issue to be discussed” and therefore was not required to be included on the an agenda. Although the agenda would have been more accurate if it had listed the multiple bases for executive session, because those discussions were inextricably intertwined with a properly-noticed basis for executive session, it did not amount to a FOIA violation.
Read More17-IB47 9/22/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Richard Kahn re: FOIA Complaint Concerning the Delaware Department of Transportation
Petitioner alleged that DelDOT improperly denied his request for the name, address, and “relevant information” about the individual who filed a complaint about Petitioner’s mailbox. DelDOT cited the exemption for investigatory documents in denying the request. HELD: There was no FOIA violation. Complaints are part of investigatory files, which remain confidential even after an investigation has concluded.
Read More17-IB46 9/7/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Mike Kwiecien re: FOIA Complaint concerning Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission and the Sussex County Council
Petitioner alleged that the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission failed to share documents he submitted to that Commission with the Sussex County Council. HELD: Such conduct, if the facts are as alleged, would not violate FOIA.
Read More17-IB45 8/31/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Jordan Warfel re: FOIA Complaint concerning the Department of Health and Social Services
Petitioner alleged that Department of Health and Social Services (“DHSS”) violated FOIA, specifically, by denying his July 26, 2017 request in its entirety rather than provide redacted versions of records responsive to his request. HELD: As we are satisfied that DHSS did not violate FOIA by denying your request in its entirety pursuant to 29 Del. C. Section 10002(1)(6).
Read More17-IB44 8/30/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Randall Chase re: FOIA Complaint concerning the Office of the Governor
Petitioner alleged Office of the Governor improperly redacted information from the Governor’s calendar. HELD: As we are satisfied that OGov’s counsel applied well-recognized FOIA exemptions to its supplemental production, it is our determination that OGov did not violate FOIA as alleged.
Read More17-IB43 8/29/2017 FOIA Opinion Letter to Mr. Frank "Dan" Cannon re: FOIA Complaint concerning the City of Seaford
Petitioner alleged that the City of Seaford failed to present important public business, AG Opinion 17-IB17 and AG Opinion 17-IB27 to the public during the regular meetings of the City Council. HELD: It is the determination that the City did not violate FOIA as alleged. Please note that both opinions are publicly available at http://opinions.attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/.
