Blank Pictures On a Milk Carton - Part Two

In Part One I displayed the list of 64 names D207 reported as members of their  "Citizens Task Force" (CTF) and asked who they were. I explained that 40+/- of those listed took building tours, "reviewed" various reports, including the 405 page $150,000 Wight Facility Master Plan before recommending that D207 Board place the $195,000,000 Referendum on the November ballot. 

In Part One, I reported that CTF members met four times and I shared D207's account that members were a mix of retirees, civic leaders, District graduates and various parents of graduates.
 
FOIA's don't always achieve desired results!
 
Having once been a “Citizen Task Force" member myself, as part of East Maine School District’s 63’s last Referendum, and having preciously received numerous D207 FOIA responses trouble free, I thought the simple question of "Citizens Task Force" membership demographics, a no-brainer!
 
Couldn't have been more wrong.  And from experience, when non-full-compliance does happen, I know I've hit a nerve or there's something they would rather not discuss or publically display.
 
Let's let the dialogue speak for itself.

 FOIA Requests: 20180807-002 through 20180807-007 dated: 08/08/2018. 

FOIA Request: 20180807-002   Please provide a copy of the list of those Citizen’s Task Force participants who are parents. FOIA Request: 20180807-003 Please provide a copy of the list of those Citizen’s Task Force participants who are teachers or administrators.   FOIA Request: 20180807-004 Please provide a copy of the list of those Citizen’s Task Force participants who are non-administrative employees of D207.   FOIA Request: 20180807-005   Please provide a copy of the list of those Citizen’s Task Force participants who are non-parent citizens. FOIA Request: 20180807-006 Please provide a copy of the list of those Citizen’s Task Force participants who represent community organizations. FOIA Request: 20180807-007   Please provide a copy of the list of those Citizen’s Task Force participants who represent current or potential referendum related contractors.

RESPONSE

Date & Sender	Response
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 4:10 PM David Beery Director of Communications / FOIA Officer	“Please find attached Maine Township High School District 207's response to your August 7 Illinois Freedom of Information Act requests 20180807, numbers 002 through 007. Please be advised that our scanner is not working at the moment so I am unable to provide you with a signed copy at this time.” My Note: I received a list of 64 names, no other data.
Aug 14, 2018 5:44 PM, Kenneth Butterly	“Do you have a list of attendee's by meeting?”
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 5:49 PM David Beery	“I don't think we used sign-in sheets, but I will check.”
Mon, Aug 27, 2018 at 7:10 AM Kenneth Butterly	“Today is 27 August. 13 Days to find a list of 40 concerned citizens? You either have a list or you do not. I expect to get THE LIST with 40 names, today. Or a statement that no such list exists.”
Monday, August 27, 2018 9:30 AM David Beery	“I checked; we did not use sign-in sheets. We have no responsive documents.”
Aug 27, 2018 at 11:43 AM Kenneth Butterly	“So how does the public get to learn if 40 or 30 or 90 "Concerned Citizens" showed up or if no one showed up to the "Community Task Force" meeting at all? FOIA's will be forthcoming.”
Aug 27 at 1:09 PM David Beery	“I am attaching a roster of Citizens Task Force invitees, all of whom were notified before each of the four meetings. The original roster includes street and email addresses, which I have redacted as private information under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The residents who composed the Citizens Task Force consists of people on this list. Some people attended all four sessions; others attended one, two or three; some did not attend either. A reasonable estimate would be that 30 to 45 people attended three of the meetings; the number of attendees for one other session was lower than that.” My Note: The attachment was the same raw list of 64 names, no other data.
Aug 27 at 2:13 PM Kenneth Butterly	“I understand the redaction process. Your dataset should have the city these citizens live in. Don't care about their home address or emails.”

On September 1, 2018 I sent an email describing the afore mentioned FOIA situation to Superintendent Wallace and on September 2, 2018 I sent each member of the Board an email with the attached FOIA request, the responses and my email letter to Dr. Wallace. 

 

To date, I have not received one word in response on this subject from any of them. 

In my letter to Ken Wallace, I asked:

 

"What is this concerned citizen to think? Should I be upset? Should I feel insulted? Or should I just feel disappointed. This incident is not a simple misunderstanding and we consider District’s refusal to provide this Taxpayer funded information is a serious breach of trust."

 

A couple more things.  “Citizen Task Force" meeting are dog-and-pony shows.  People asked to attend are picked based on their predisposition toward the issue at hand.  In this case, the long planned Referendum.   It's the equivalent of a packed court. 

 

Monday, August 27, 2018 9:30 AM David Beery

“I checked; we did not use sign-in sheets. We have no responsive documents.”

Finally, many of you, and some of my readers are former and current Board Members, have attended School Board Meetings and Park Board Meetings and City Council Meetings and/or other public meetings.  What's the first thing they do, after the Pledge of Allegiance?  They pass around the sign-in sheet or tell you to sign in at the table. 

A sign-in sheet! 

Sorry Mr. Berry.  Sorry Dr. Wallace. Sorry Carla.  This dog don't hunt!

Notice: Seeking pictures for the milk cartons.  Can any of you help?