APRA procedures (Pawtucket School Department)
| Submitted | April 27, 2014 |
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From: Shawn Musgrave
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act ("APRA"), I hereby request the following records:
Written procedures for access to the agency’s public records, including any records request forms required or suggested by the agency.
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Shawn Musgrave
From: Vicki Bejma
Dear Mr. Musgrave:
Please be advised that this office represents the Pawtucket School Department. Your Access to Public Records Act request has been referred to our office for response. Please be advised that due to the outstanding number of requests that have been made upon the School Department, the School Department is exercising its rights to take an additional 20 business days to respond, pursuant to RIGL 38-2-3(e), that is, until June 6, 2014. We hope to have a response to you prior to that time.
Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss this matter in further detail.
Vicki J. Bejma
Robinson & Clapham
123 Dyer Street, Suite 135
Providence, RI 02903
401-331-6565
fax 401-331-7888
vbejma@smrobinsonlaw.com<mailto:vbejma@smrobinsonlaw.com>
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From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on April 27, 2014. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thank you for your help.
From: Vicki Bejma
Dear Mr. Musgrave:
Please find attached Pawtucket's APRA procedures as they currently exist. Please note that the School Department intends to revamp this policy in the very near future. When this is done, I will be sure to send you a copy.
Thank you for your patience in this matter. Let me know if there is anything else that you need.
From: MuckRock
Hello,
As attached, this policy appears to be a template that has not been formally adopted by the School Committee. Please confirm whether this is the case that the department has not adopted written APRA procedures.
Best,
Shawn
From: Vicki Bejma
Dear Shawn:
Your view of the policy is incorrect. This policy was incorporated into a broader policy manual, which was adopted in toto by the Pawtucket School Committee at its meeting of January 9, 2007.
From: Shawn Musgrave
Hello,
Thank you for your clarification. Please provide documentation to this effect -- again, the sent documents seem to be generic templates rather than a policy specific to PSD.
Best,
Shawn
From: Vicki Bejma
Dear Mr. Musgrave:
I attach copies of the minutes of the School Committee meeting in which the policy manual was adopted by the School Committee.
From: Shawn Musgrave
Thank you for sending the minutes wherein the policy handbook was adopted. Please confirm whether the document you sent is the APRA policy as it actually appears in the handbook. Once again, the document you sent (attached as .pdf as well as the .docx you sent) includes a number of blanks in key places that suggest it is a template rather than the official policy/procedure itself. Please see, for instance, on the first page:
2. When the request for access to records is required to be placed in writing, that written request shall be referred to ____________________. If the ____________________ determines that the requested records fall under the definition of “public records,” [....]
Please advise and send the official policy/procedure per your obligations under APRA.
Best,
Shawn
From: Vicki Bejma
Dear Mr. Musgrave:
That is the policy that appears in the policy manual. As I have stated in earlier correspondences, the School Committee intends to revamp this policy shortly.
From: Anderson, Jon
Dear Mr. Musgrave:
I have succeeded Ms. Bejma as counsel to the Pawtucket School Department. As Ms. Bejma indicated to you in her email of June 25, 2014, the Pawtucket School Committee was revising its policy implementing the Access to Public Records Act. Enclosed please find the revised policy that was approved on July 16, 2014.
Please call me if you have any questions.
Very truly yours,
Jon M. Anderson
_______________________
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From: Shawn Musgrave
Thank you for sending. I have updated our records. Please provide contact information for the PSD Human Resources Director to whom APRA requests ought to be directed, including address, email and fax number, as relevant.
Thank you for your help.
Best,
Shawn
From: Anderson, Jon
The position is currently vacant. Pursuant to the policy, requests should be sent in the interim to the Superintendent of Schools, Ms. DiCenso at the email address set forth above or by delivering them to the Pawtucket School Department, 286 Main Street, Box 388, Pawtucket, RI 02860 (401) 729-6315.
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