Letter to the Editor,
While trying to gather names in support of keeping Rescue, Inc. ,at the Senior Center, I was informed that this was not allowed. This was not a partition for any political party, it was a partition involving the health and welfare of the people of Brattleboro.
Let us go back just a bit. Originally the Town Representatives voted for monies to go to Rescue, Inc. not to be put in the Town Budget as an axillary line item. So they hire a Town Manager, who we find out later that had ties with Golden Cross. When this happened why did this not alert our Selectboard to question these ties. Instead of admitting that they dropped the ball they continue to try to ram this down the throats of the Brattleboro residences, even with the multitude of responses that we want Rescue, Inc .
They continue to try to deny any requests for information. That this information is not available to the public, according to the Town Attorney.
My question to the Town Manager, Town Attorney and the Town Selectboard is this: Since the Gibson Aiken Center is a Public Building allowing activities open to the public, not only to Brattleboro citizens, what is their definition of public and just what that means to the possible obstruction of free speech?
The public has the right to partition and question everything their town government does in all public spaces.
Respectively Submitted,
Kathryn Turnas II
Brattleboro Resident
FOIA
Government is required to respond to a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) Request.
Foia can be used to require disclosure of documents, but cannot be used just to ask a question soliciting information. So the FOIA request to the Town of Brattleboro would be something like: “Any and all documents, including but not limited to laws, rules, regulations, memoranda, directive which prohibit solicitation and collection of signatures on a petition in the Brattleboro Senior Center.
Your FOIA Request might look something like this.
I am not a lawyer, and cannot give legal advance. I am explaining my understanding of making a FOIA request as a researcher. I waive any copyright claim on what I am writing here, so feel free to use whatever you find useful. I suggest considering seeking the opinion of a qualified legal expert.
FOIA REQUEST
This FOIA Request is made to the Town of Brattleboro.
For the purpose of this FOIA Request, Documents are anything which is recorded on any type of media — photographs, writings on paper, any type of record, audio recordings, video, computer files, including but not limited to notes, memoranda, emails, messages, telephone logs, forms.
The format requested for disclosure of requested documents is: hard-copy printouts of written documents to be sent to me, [name] via First Class US Mail; PDFs of computer files uploaded to a password-protected private web page with the password given to me, [name]; Private, unsearchable password-protected YouTube videos of audio recordings and of video recordings, with the URL, password, and any other information needed to access said Youtube videos provided to me, [name].
I hereby request true copies of the following document(s):
Any and all documents, including but not limited to laws, rules, regulations, memoranda, directive and other communications which prohibit solicitation and collection of signatures on a petition in the Brattleboro Senior Center
This FOIA Request is submitted by the undersigned:
_________________________________________
[name] date
Inquiry to the Senior Center
I have just sent the following email message to Recreation & Parks Department Assistant Director & Senior Center Activities Coordinator Sarah Clark:
Dear Sarah,
Is it true that Kathryn Turnas was recently stopped from collecting signatures at the Senior Center in support of keeping Rescue, Inc., and was informed that this is not allowed? I am concerned to hear that the Senior Center violates constitutionally protected rights. In order to better understand this matter, I would like you to answer the following 2 questions:
1. Is it particularly signature collecting for a petition about EMS that is barred, or has the Senior Center banned any and all petitions, so that no petition was ever permitted?
2. Can you cite a document (such as a law, rule, regulation, memorandum, directive, etc.) which forbids petitions at the Senior Center, and can you provide me with access to that document?
In my opinion, it would be best to resolve this matter quickly, and cooperatively.
Sincerely,
Steven K-Brooks
I just submitted this FOIA Request
To: Sarah Clark, Recreation & Parks Department Assistant Director & Senior Center Activities Coordinator
Dear Sarah,
Since Kathryn Turnas has publicly stated that she was recently stopped from collecting signatures at the Senior Center for a petition in support of keeping Rescue, Inc., and was informed that this is not allowed: l am hereby making the following FOIA Request, with which the Law requires the Town of Brattleboro’s compliance.
FOIA REQUEST
I hereby request a copy of any document (including but not limited to a law, rule, regulations, memorandum, directive, email, guidelines) which forbids collection of signatures for a petition at the Brattleboro Senior Center.
I request that the Town send me the requested document(s) both by email AND via US Mail, First Class.
To be sure that you receive this FOIA Request, I will also put a hard copy in the Town’s dropbox in the Municipal Building parking lot.
Request submitted by:
Steven K-Brooks
Steven K-Brooks – for the purpose of this emailed FOIA Request, I designate my name written in italics as my signature.