A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Harrisburg, Illinois, seeking information about residential and commercial building permits. The request was made by SE Illinois News on October 30, 2024.
The comprehensive request sought two lists under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. The first list requested details of all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, up until the date of the request. The fields specified in this list included the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester's name, address of the property involved, and contractor's name.
The second list requested information about all active residential and commercial building permits along with their current status. The same fields as mentioned in the first list were asked for this one as well.
As a media organization committed to providing accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at SE Illinois News believe that access to public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information to the public, we have also requested a fee waiver as a media professional.
We await a response from the City of Harrisburg regarding this FOIA request.
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