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2011-216 -1 -2011 ! . , • 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. l__J ATTEST: Village Clerk PPP , dent 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. A. B. C. D E. F. G. H. I. J. K. 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 L� STATEMENT OF PURPOSE - 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. 1 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. E 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. 5 9 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 0 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 rj 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. • 0 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. I • 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. 10 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. 11 W 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 12 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. 13 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)). 14