2011-216 -1 -2011
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Resolution No. 2011 - 21
A Resolution Amending Village of Buffalo Grove
Freedom of Information Act Directory
WHEREAS, Village of Buffalo Grove Resolution No. 2009 -49 adopted the Village of Buffalo
Grove Freedom of Information Act Directory (the "Directory"); and,
WHEREAS, the Directory shall be amended to designate elected officials, Trustees Mike
Terson, Andrew Stein and Lester A. Ottenheimer III; and,
WHEREAS, the Directory shall be amended to reflect the Village's Fiscal Year 2011 budget
information.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF
TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE, COOK AND LAKE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS:
Section 1. The foregoing Whereas clauses are hereby incorporated herein.
Section 2. The Village of Buffalo Grove Freedom of Information Act Directory is hereby
amended to add Trustee Mike Terson, Trustee Andrew Stein and Trustee Lester A. Ottenheimer III
as Municipal Elected Officials and to provide Fiscal Year 2011 budget information.
Section 3. The Village Clerk shall be responsible to assure that the Directory is updated
as appropriate so as to remain in conformation with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The
Corporate Authorities hereby authorize the Village Clerk to make updates as necessary and
appropriate to the Statistical Information, Municipal Officials, and Catalogue of Records within the
Directory without formal action of the Corporate Authorities.
Section 4. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage
and approval.
AYES: 6 - Berman, Sussman, Trilling, Terson, Stein, Ottenheimer
NAYES: 0 - None
ABSENT: 0 - None
ABSTAIN: 0 - None
PASSED: ,Tune 6 2011.
APPROVED: .Tune 6 , 2011.
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ATTEST:
Village Clerk
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Updated 6 -1 -1011
VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS
50 RAUPP BOULEVARD
BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS 60089
Village of Buffalo Grove
Illinois Freedom of Information Act Directory
Pursuant to the
Illinois Freedom of Information Act
(5 Illinois Compiled Statutes 140/1 et seq.)
Through Public Act 96 -542 Effective January 1, 2010
Table of Contents
PAGE
Statement of Purpose
I
Statistical Information
2
Municipal Officials
3
Catalogue of Records
4
Catalogue of Departmental Records
7
Procedure for Request of Public Records 9
Public Access Counselor
14
Exhibits
Organizational Chart of the Village of Buffalo Grove
Committees, Commissions and Boards of the Village of Buffalo Grove
Illinois Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Request
Extension Notification Letter
Approval for Request for Public Records
Unduly Burdensome Extension Notification Letter
Letter of Denial
Letter of Partial Denial
Requests for Commercial Purposes
Personal Privacy/Preliminary Policy Drafts Exemption
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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
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The Village of Buffalo Grove was incorporated as an Illinois municipal corporation on March 7, 1958,
and achieved home rule status on March 1, 1980, pursuant to referendum. The purpose of the Village is
to provide for the health, safety and welfare of its residents through the various departments of the
Village that provide police and fire protection; sewer and water service; building, zoning, health and
engineering inspection; general administration; municipal golf courses; and other traditional public
services.
A full text of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act ( "Act ") 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. is included as Exhibit
C to this Directory.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OFFICERS
The following are designated Freedom of Information Officers, as that position has been identified and
defined in 5 ILCS 140/3.5.
Dane Bragg
Village Manager
50 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 - 459 -2525 Fax 847 - 459 -7906
Ghida Neukirch
Deputy Village Manager
50 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 - 459 -2518 Fax 847 - 459 -7906
Scott Anderson
Director of Finance
50 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 - 459 -2511 Fax 847 - 459 -0332
Jane Olson
Deputy Village Clerk
50 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 - 459 -2511 Fax 847 - 459 -0332
Arthur Malinowski
Director of Human Resources
50 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 - 459 -2500 Fax 847 - 459 -0332
Steve Balinski
Chief of Police
46 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 - 459 -2560 Fax 847 - 459 -0201
Terry Vavra
Fire Chief
1051 Highland Grove Drive
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 -537 -1106 Fax 847 -537 -7370
Gregory P. Boysen
Director of Public Works
51 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
847 - 459 -2547 Fax 847 -537 -5845
While the Act requires the designation of a Freedom of Information Officer or Officers, the Village can
also provide for designees within each of its operating departments to assist in complying with the Act.
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STATISTICAL INFORMATION
The Village's Budget for Fiscal Year 2011 was adopted on December 7, 2010 per Resolution No.
2010 -44. The anticipated revenue for Fiscal Year 2011, for all funds is estimated to equal
$59,753,339 with approved expenses or expenditures equal to $59,501,913.
2. Five Administrative Offices or Departments are located in the Village Hall at 50 Raupp Boulevard:
Office of the Village Manager (includes Planning, Communications and
Information Technology)
Finance & General Services
Office of the Village Clerk (includes Legislative)
Building & Zoning/Health
Emergency Management Agency
Two Departments are located at the Public Service Center at 51 Raupp Boulevard:
Engineering Services
Public Works
4. Fire Stations are located at:
505 West Dundee Road
109 Deerfield Road
100 Half Day Road
The Fire Service Administration Office is located at 1051 Highland Grove Drive.
The Police Department is located at 46 Raupp Boulevard.
6. The Buffalo Grove Golf Club is located at 48 Raupp Boulevard. The Arboretum Golf Course is
located at 401 Half Day Road.
7. The Village has 233 full -time positions authorized along with approximately 60 part- time /seasonal
employees. These employee authorizations were effective with the approval of the Fiscal Year 2011
Budget.
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Village President
Village Clerk
Trustees
Village Manager
Village Attorney
Deputy Village Clerk
Village Treasurer
MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS
Elected
Appointed
3
Jeffrey S. Braiman
Janet M. Sirabian
Jeffrey Berman
Steve Trilling
Beverly Sussman
Mike Terson
Andrew Stein
Lester A. Otenheimer III
Dane Bragg
William Raysa
Jane Olson
Joseph Tenerelli
CATALOGUE OF RECORDS
AGREEMENTS Executed agreements between the Village of Buffalo Grove and various
governmental agencies, corporations companies and private individuals
ANNEXATIONS Records compiled for property incorporated into Village limits
APPLICATIONS Amusement License
Animal License
Business License
Coin Operated Amusement Device License
Food & Beverage Vending Machine License
Liquor License
Liquor Special Server Permit
Massage Establishment
Peddler & Solicitors License
Public Passenger Vehicle & Chauffeur Licenses
Raffle License
Refuse License
Swimming Pool License
Tobacco License
AUDITS Independent audits performed on Village financial statements and activities
at the conclusion of the fiscal year.
BIDS Bids and specifications for various Village projects
BONDS General Obligation Bonds
Revenue Bonds
Special Service Area Bonds
Tax Increment Allocation Bonds
BUDGETS Annually approved budgets for all Village funds and departments.
CONTRACTS Executed contracts between the Village and various governmental agencies,
corporations, companies and private individuals.
DEEDS For property which has been deeded to the Village.
EASEMENTS Rights of Easement granted by persons to the Village for various municipal
improvements along with Rights of Easement granted by the Village to
individuals for various reasons.
GOLF COURSE Records regarding Village owned Golf Courses
INSURANCE Records of insurance claims and correspondence with the Intergovernmental
Risk Management Agency (IRMA). Files also contain correspondence from
group personal benefits providers.
INVOICES Invoices sent by the Village for various services rendered as well as for goods,
services and equipment purchased for Village operational needs.
LICENSES & PERMITS All approved licenses and permits for which applications have been received.
MAPS Various mapping products such as street and zoning maps.
MINUTES Minutes for all Commissions, Committees and Boards as well as the Village
Board
MOTOR FUEL TAX Documentation relating to Motor Fuel Tax projects
ORDINANCES As passed by the Village Board
PLATS All documents of this nature related to properties located within the Village.
PETITIONS As received for consideration by various Departments, Committees,
Commissions or Boards, including the Village Board. Also, petitions filed by
residents.
PROCLAMATIONS As issued by the Village President
PUBLICATIONS Printed documents of the Village for both internal as well as external use by the
general public. Would include, but not be limited to, Comprehensive Plan,
Zoning Ordinance, Development Ordinance and Sign Code.
RECORDED Any and all documents required to be recorded in either or both Cook and /or
DOCUMENTS Lake County
RESOLUTIONS As passed by the Village Board
UTILITIES Documents related to the Village's water and sewer utility as well as those
related to regulated utilities such as electric, gas, phone and cable television.
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The foregoing records normally are to be found in the Village Clerk's Office, unless otherwise directed.
Contact: Ms. Janet M. Sirabian
Village Clerk
50 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
Telephone: 847- 459 -2511
Fax: 847- 459 -0332
They are to be considered a representative example of records maintained by the Village and are not meant to be
all inclusive or limited to what are noted.
The Village of Buffalo Grove affirms to follow the compliance requirements of the Act. However, the Act
(Section 140/3.3) is not intended to require that the Village interpret or advise requestors as to the meaning or
significance of any public record.
The Village of Buffalo Grove Municipal Code is available for public review. The Code contains all ordinances
which have been codified. Non - codified ordinances are also available for review and an index of all adopted
ordinances are listed within the Municipal Code. The Municipal Code can also be viewed on the Village's web
site www.vgb.org
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CATALOGUE OF DEPARTMENTAL RECORDS
Requests for departmental public records shall be directed as indicated within the Catalogue of Departmental
Records. A representative example of departmental documents, and not intended to be all inclusive, are as
follows:
BUILDING & ZONING DEPARTMENT:
Contact: Carol Berman or Brian Sheehan
Deputy Building Commissioners
50 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2530
Citations & Court Action taken regarding violations of ordinances
Inspections & Permits (building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical; applications and inspections)
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT:
Contact: Richard Kuenkler
Village Engineer
51 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2523
Engineering Drawings
Maps and Geographic Information System mapping products
Plan and Specifications for construction and for development in Village
Plats
Traffic Studies
FIRE DEPARTMENT:
Contact: Fire Chief Terry Vavra
1051 Highland Grove Drive 847 -537 -0995
Fire Prevention
Fire and Rescue Responses
Inspections
Paramedic and Emergency Medical Service Responses
POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Contact: Police Chief Steven Balinski
46 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2560
Police Reports and Investigations
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT:
Contact: Gregory Boysen
Director of Public Works
51 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2545
Water and Sewer Records
Snow Removal
Street Repair and Reports
Vehicle Titles
Vehicle Repair
Property Maintenance
Forestry and Land Maintenance
Facilities Management
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HEALTH DEPARTMENT:
Contact: Brian Sheehan
Health Officer
50 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2530
Citations & Court Action taken regarding violations of ordinances
Inspections
Permits (health; applications and inspections)
GOLF OPERATIONS:
Contact: Carmen Molinaro
Director of Golf Operations
48 Raupp Boulevard 847 -537 -5819
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:
Contact: Robert Giddens
Director of Information Technologies
50 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2518
FINANCE AND GENERAL SERVICES:
Contact: Scott Anderson
Director of Finance & General Services
50 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2500
Arthur Malinowski
Director of Human Resources
50 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2500
OFFICE OF VILLAGE MANAGER:
Contact: Ghida Neukirch
PLANNING SERVICES:
Contact:
COMMUNICATIONS:
Contact:
Deputy Village Manager
50 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2518
Robert Pfeil
Village Planner
50 Raupp Boulevard 847 - 459 -2518
Leisa Niemotka
Assistant to the Village Manager
50 Raupp Boulevard 847- 459 -2518
The foregoing records normally are to be found in the possession of the Departments noted. They are to be
considered a representative example of records maintained and are not meant to be all inclusive or limited to what
are noted.
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Village of Buffalo Grove
50 Raupp Boulevard
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089
Procedure for Request of Public Records
Village of Buffalo Grove Regulations Concerning the Illinois
Freedom of Information Act 5 ILCS 140/1 et sea.
ARTICLE I
Section 1.1 Summary and Purpose
a) These regulations are established to implement the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS
140/1 et seq). The purpose of these regulations is to support the policy of providing access to the public
records in the possession of the Village while, at the same time, protecting legitimate privacy interests
and maintaining administrative efficiency.
b) These rules create a procedure by which the public may request and obtain public records.
Section 1.2 Definitions
a) Terms not defined in this Procedure shall have the same meaning as in the Act (Section 140/2).
b) "Act" means the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.)
c) "Freedom of Information Officer" shall be as defined in Section 140/3.5 of the Act.
d) "Requester" means a person who submits a request for public records in accordance with these
regulations.
ARTICLE II
Section 2.1 Requests for Public Records
Requests for inspection or to copy public records shall be made to the Office of Village Clerk although
requests may also be submitted directly to the following locations:
• Buffalo Grove Police Department 46 Raupp Boulevard
• Buffalo Grove Fire Department 1051 Highland Grove Drive
• Department of Building & Zoning 50 Raupp Boulevard
• Department of Engineering/ 51 Raupp Boulevard
Public Works
Written requests can be submitted to the Village by personal delivery, mail, fax or other means available,
including email. The Village may honor a verbal request to either inspect or copy a public record. The Village
will provide a standard form, identified as Exhibit D to this Directory to assist in the request for public records
although requests can be made in any other written manner as well.
Requests for public records submitted to the Office of Village Clerk shall be directed to the Department or
Division Director in those departments or divisions responsible for maintaining the public records requested.
Requests made at Village locations other than the Office of Village Clerk shall be the responsibility of the
Freedom of Information Officers, or their designees, at such locations.
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Requests for public records will be handled during the following normal working hours:
Monday- Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4 :30 P.M.
The Finance & General Services Department is open Mondays from 8:OOA.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Section 2.2 Form and Content of Requests
a) Requests in accordance with the Act and these regulations may be made in writing or as noted in
Section 2.1 above. Such requests may be submitted on forms, provided by the Village as shown on
Exhibit D. or in a similar format.
b) The requestor shall provide the following information in a request for public records:
1. The requestor's full name, address and phone number.
2. A description of the public records sought, being as specific as possible.
3. Whether the request is for inspection of public records, copies of public records, or both. In
addition, the requestor shall note if the public records that are being requested are for a commercial
purpose or whether there is a request to waive any fees that may be due.
ARTICLE III
Section 3.1 Timeline for Village Response
a) The Village shall respond to a request for public records within 5 business days after the
receipt of such request; please note that Day 1 of the 5 day timeline is the first business day after the
request is received by the Village. Response would include either a compliance with the request, a
written request for an extension, or a denial, and said denial shall be in writing.
b) The Village may give notice of an extension of time to respond which does not exceed an additional 5
business days, from the original due date, or a total of 10 business days from the request. Such an
extension is allowable only if notice is provided within the original 5 business day time limit and only
for the reasons provided in Section 140/3 (e) of the Act. Such notice of extension shall state the
reasons why the extension is necessary and be in the format as shown on Exhibit E.
C) A requestor and the Village may agree in writing to extend the time for compliance for a period to be
determined by both parties.
d) The response requirements for compliance or denial of a request for public records set out in this
Section 3.1 shall not apply to requests for records made for commercial purposes. Such requests shall
be subject to the provisions of Section 140/3.1 of the Act.
Section 3.2 Types of Village Responses
a) The Village shall respond to a request for public records in one of following ways:
1) Approve the request.
2) Approve in part and deny in part.
3) Deny the request.
4) Give notice of an extension.
5) Provide an opportunity for a conference.
b) Upon approval of a request for public records, the Village may either provide the materials
immediately, give notice that the materials shall be made available upon payment of appropriate fees,
or give notice of the time and place for inspection of records.
C) Categorical requests creating an undue burden upon the Village shall be denied only after
extending to the requestor an opportunity to confer in an attempt to reduce the request to
manageable proportions in accordance with Section 140/3 (g) of the Act. A letter for this
procedure is at Exhibit G.
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d) A denial of a request for public records shall be made in writing. It shall state the reasons for the denial
in accordance with Section 140/3 (g), Section 140/7, or Section 140/7.5 of the Act and the names and
titles of individuals responsible for the decision, and shall include a detailed factual basis as to why the
exemption was claimed. The format letter for denial is at Exhibit H.
e) The Village can remove or black out information from documents released if the information is exempt
from disclosure under the Act. This process is called "redaction" and if used, the Village will release
the remaining information, if it too is not exempt from disclosure. A redaction is considered a partial
denial and therefore, the requestor will be notified of such partial denial. Depending upon the reason
for the redaction, the letter noted in Exhibit I will be provided.
f) Copies of all requests and denials will be retained by the Freedom of Information Officers.
ARTICLE IV
Section 4.1 Right to Review of a Denial
a) As part of a denial of a request for public records, the Village will inform such requestor oftheir right to
review by the Public Access Counselor and will be provided with the address and phone number for the
Public Access Counselor (Section 140/9.5 of the Act).
b) In addition, each notice of denial shall inform the requestor of their right to a judicial review as set forth
in Section 140/11 of the Act.
Section 4.2 Permission to Assert Two Specific Exemptions Under the Act
If the Village believes that the records requested under the Act fall into one of two specific exemptions in the
Act, and intends to assert those exemptions and withhold the records in whole or in part from disclosure, the
Village must provide written notice to the Public Access Counselor ( "PAC "), within the Office of Attorney
General, before asserting either exemption. A letter specific to requests for such exemptions is at Exhibit K.
Specifically, if the Village intends to withhold information from disclosure because either (1) disclosure ofthe
information would result in an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy (5 ILCS 140/7(1)(c)) ( "personal
information ") or (2) the information falls into the exemption for preliminary policy drafts (5 ILCS 140 /7(1)(f)),
the Village must provide written notice to the PAC asserting either of the exemptions.
Once the PAC receives the written notice from the Village, they have five (5) working days to determine if
further inquiry is necessary. If it is determined that further inquiry is necessary to determine whether either of
the exemptions may be used, the timeline for a Request for Review begins and the Village must provide any
information requested by the PAC within seven (7) working days of receiving the PAC's request. During the
time period that the PAC is reviewing whether the Village can assert either of these exemptions, the original
response timeline requirements cease for the Village to respond to the request (5 ILCS 140/9.5(b)).
ARTICLE V
Section 5.1 Inspection of Records at Village Offices
a) Generally, public records will be made available for inspection during normal working hours of the
Village.
b) Documents which the requestor wishes to have copied shall be segregated during the course of the
inspection. Generally, all copying shall be done by Village employees.
c) Unless otherwise arranged, the inspection of records shall take place at the office of the Department
concerned. For purposes of convenience, either the Village or the requestor may request that
inspection take place in another Department office location.
d) An employee of the Village may be present throughout the inspection. A requestor may be
prohibited from bringing bags, brief cases or other containers into the inspection room.
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Section 5.2 Charges for Public Records
a) Copies of public records shall be provided to the requestor only upon payment of any charges which
are due and are subject to the authority as further set forth in Section 140/6 of the Act.
b) Except where a fee is otherwise fixed by State statute, charges for copies of public records shall be
assessed as follows:
No fees shall be charged for the first fifty (50) pages of black and white, letter or legal sized copies, requested
by the requestor. Copies in excess of fifty (50) in a black and white format, on letter or legal sized paper, shall
be $.15 /page. If color copies are requested, and can be provided, or if copies are provided in a size other than
letter or legal, the actual cost for reproducing the records will be due.
The following company will photocopy and invoice any person or company who required many copies to
be made:
Records Copy Services
30 North LaSalle #1800
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312)726 -6650
Certification fees are $1.00 per record.
c) Charges may be waived, or provided at a reduced rate, in any case where the Village determines that
the waiver serves the public interest. "Public interest" is set forth in Section 140/6 (c) of the Act.
d) If a public record is provided to the requestor in an electronic format, the Village may charge the
requestor for the actual cost of purchasing any recording medium, including but not limited to, disc,
diskette, tape or other medium.
ARTICLE VI
Section 6.1 Requests for Commercial Purposes
The Village will respond to a request for records that will be used for a commercial purpose within twenty -one
(2 1) working days after receipt. The response shall (i) provide to the requestor an estimate of the time required
to provide the records requested, along with an estimate of the fees to be charged, which the Village will require
the requestor to pay in full before reproducing the requested documents, (ii) deny the request pursuant to one or
more of the exemptions set forth in the Act, (iii) notify the requestor that the request is unduly burdensome and
extend an opportunity to the requestor to attempt to reduce the request to manageable proportions, or (iv)
provide the records requested. A letter specific to requests for commercial purposes is at Exhibit J.
Unless the records are exempt from disclosure, the Village shall comply with the request within a reasonable
period considering the size and complexity of the request. In addition, the Act allows for a priority to be given
to record requests of a non - commercial nature.
It shall be a violation of the Act for a person to knowingly request or obtain a public record or records for a
commercial purpose without disclosing that such request has been for a commercial purpose, if requested to do
so by the Village.
Section 6.2 Definition of Commercial Purpose
The Act defines a "Commercial Purpose" (5 ILCS 140/2 (c -10)) to mean the use of any part of a public record
or records, or information derived from public records in any form for sale, resale, or solicitation or
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advertisement for sales or services.
For purposes of the definition, requests made by news media and non - profit, scientific, or academic
organizations shall not be considered to be made for a "commercial purpose" when the principal purpose of the
request is (i) to access and disseminate information concerning news and current or passing events, (ii) for
articles of opinion or features of interest to the public, or (iii) for the purpose of academic, scientific, or public
research and education.
ARTICLE VII
Section 7.1 Private Information & Personal Information
The Act is not intended to cause an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The Act allows for an exemption
of personal information contained within public records which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion
of personal privacy, unless the disclosure is consented to in writing by the individual subjects pf the
information. "Unwarranted invasion of privacy "is defined to mean the disclosure of information that is highly
personal or objectionable to a reasonable person and in which the subject's right to privacy outweighs any
legitimate public interest in obtaining the information. (5 ILCS 140/7(1)(c))
Section 7.2 Private Information - Definition
Private information means unique identifiers, including social security numbers, driver's license number,
employee identification number, biometric identifiers, personal financial information, passwords or other access
codes, medical records, home or personal telephone numbers, and personal email addresses. Private
information also includes home address and personal license plates, except as otherwise provided by law or
when compiled without possibility of attribution to any person.
ARTICLE VIII
Section 8.1 Freedom of Information Officers
The Village has designated Freedom of Information Officers as identified within this Directory. Except in
instances when records are furnished immediately, Freedom of Information Officers, or their designees, shall
receive requests submitted to the Village under the Act, ensure that the Village, as represented by the
responsible department or division, respond to a request in a timely manner, and will issue responses, when
necessary, as required by the Act. Freedom of Information Officers are also responsible to develop and
maintain a list of documents or categories of records that the Village shall disclose upon request.
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PUBLIC ACCESS COUNSELOR
The Illinois Attorney General's Office provides for the position of Public Access Counselor ( "PAC ") whose
mission is to assist individuals obtain public documents and to offer, as appropriate both advisory and binding
opinions as part of ensuring public bodies comply with the Act. The PAC also has another responsibility under
the Act, that being if the Village wants to withhold information from a requestor based upon one of two specific
exemptions under the Act. They are (1) disclosure of personal information that would result in an unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy; or (2) that the information requested falls under the exemption of preliminary
policy drafts. In these cases, the Village must provide written notice to the PAC before asserting these
exemptions.
The Attorney General, through the PAC, can also provide the Village with an advisory opinion regarding
compliance with the Act upon submittal of a written request. The request can only be submitted by the Village
President or Village Attorney. The request must contain sufficient accurate facts in order for a determination to
be made and if required to facilitate a review, the PAC may request additional information from the Village.
While the Village has a right to request an advisory opinion, the Attorney General is not obligated to issue such
an opinion and may decline to do so (5 ILLS 140/9.5(h))
If a requestor believes that the Village has wrongly denied their FOIA request, a Request for Review (Request)
can be submitted to the PAC. The Request is a formal way of asking the PAC to look at the original request, as
well as the Village's response, so as to determine if a violation of the Act has occurred. The Request must be in
writing, signed by the requestor, and must include a summary ofthe facts supporting the allegation. In addition,
the Request must contain a copy of the original FOIA request and any responses from the Village (5 ILCS
140/9.5(a)). The Request must be submitted to the PAC within 60 days after the denial of the FOIA request
and can be submitted either by email or U.S. Mail. The address is:
Public Access Bureau
Office of the Attorney General
500 South 2"a Street
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Via E -Mail:
publicaccessgatg. state. il.us
Based upon the review of the Request, the PAC can decide no further review is necessary, go through the
process of issuing a binding opinion or attempt to resolve the dispute using more informal means. The PAC
may choose informal mediation of a dispute where the PAC will work with the Village and the requestor to
reach an agreement and resolve the dispute. The results of mediation will not include a binding opinion.
When the PAC receives a written Request, it has seven (7) working days to either: (1) decide no further review
is necessary in that the alleged violation is believed unfounded or (2) send a copy of the Request to the Village
and request more information that may involve records needed to complete their review. If a request for
additional information is made, the Village has seven (7) working days to provide the requested information.
Please note that the Village, when providing records, is permitted to provide a written answer to the allegations
that may have been made and may provide affidavits in support of its position (5 ILCS 140/9.5 (e)).
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