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04/12/2017 05:00 PMEver wonder what the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) actually is, or how citizens can use it? Deep River is hosting a free informative workshop on Monday, April 24, open to both town officials and citizens so that people can learn about what this act does.
“The Freedom of Information Commission offers these sessions and sends someone to teach them,” said Town Clerk Amy Winchell. “These workshops are supposed to help people understand the rights and obligations that go along with the FOIA.”
FOIA is the state’s legislation that ensures transparency in the conduct of state and municipal business. It defines how meetings may (and may not) be conducted and provides public access to most government records.
The workshop was set up to answer ongoing questions about how to handle information and requests for information. According to Winchell, this will be an opportunity for members of various boards to learn about their obligations as well as develop a better public awareness of the FOIA. These workshops have also been run previously in Chester and Essex.
The meeting will cover an overview of FOIA requirements, including types of meetings and their notice and filing requirements, which groups fall under FOI regulations, executive sessions, requests for public records, and what constitutes an “illegal” meetings are, whether by email, or through conversation.
“These are mostly to protect us, but it is important for the public, too,” said Winchell. “People think there are shut out from the way things work, but there is a lot of information out there. People just need to know where to look.”
The meeting is open to the public, but department heads and board and commission members are strongly encouraged to attend.
The free workshop will be held on April 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Deep River Town Hall, and taught by Tom Hennick, a public information officer from the FOI Commission. Registration is not required, but questions may be submitted to Amy Winchell in advance at townclerk@deepriverct.us or 860-526-6024.