Editor’s Note: Sunshine Request makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive.
Other (indicate in message) Submitted: February 28, 2024 | Updated: February 29, 2024
(February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.
Good afternoon Chief Williams, (Navassa Mayor, Michelyn, Claudia CCed), Records Officer or Custodian(s) of these Records,
I submitted a public records request to the Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Department and Town of Navassa on December 06, 2023 via email. There was no resolution to my request, since I never received any response from the NVFD email address ([email protected], which does not work), no one returned my voicemails to the NVFD. And, I also contacted Minnie Brown by phone – unfortunately, there is no way to leave Minnie a voicemail, and her voice mailbox was full.
The Courts have found that an unjustified 1 month delay in the production of public records is tantamount to a denial. After much back-and-forth about my request with the Town of Navassa, and having received no response, I ultimately marked my request as having been “Denied” by your organization on February 07, 2024.
Recently, I was made aware that Donny Williams is the Fire Chief for the Town of Navassa Volunteer Fire Department, as well as Police Chief for Wilmington, NC. Having finally found an email contact for Mr. Williams ([email protected]) that works, I hope that you are now able to proceed with the fulfillment of the following public records request:
SUBJECT:
(February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.
MESSAGE:
“ Please reply promptly to the following public records request, which I’m making in accordance with NC Public Records Law. https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_132.html
** I am simply requesting an electronic copy of an electronic record, if one exists. I’m NOT asking for the opportunity to come in person to "inspect", nor to obtain a printed copy of, this electronic record. I’m requesting explicitly that any responsive info be provided to me via the electronic medium / electronic format (in which the copy of this record should already exist and is available to you). If you are unable to fulfill any or all parts of this request, please specifically cite where a reason for denial is justified under NC Public Records Law. **
If such a record exists –
Please provide the time, date, and brief description of the reason (for example: assist other agency, fire, assist EMS, wreck, etc.) for all calls to the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department. During the specific time period of 01/01/2023 through the present day [on the date that the query is performed].
To be clear, I’m only requesting to know the time / date / general description of a call. Please DO NOT include any personally identifying information about callers, if that type of data exists (for example: their name, phone #, an address, or case #, etc). That data is not relevant to my request, and Sunshine Request will not publish this type of info.
————————————
Please note that by submitting this request, I’m NOT agreeing to pay any potential fees or associated costs related to my request. If it isn’t possible to process the request without incurring fees, then please let me know the itemized potential cost and explanations for those charges upfront, and DO NOT proceed until I respond.
By Law I’m not required to provide a name or address to associate with a public records request, but in order to move things along I’d like to clarify that this request is being made by:
Sunshine Request
PO Box 17391
Asheville, NC 28816
The request has been sent solely by me and my email address [email protected] . If anyone other than that email address contacts you to pursue a similar request, it did not come from me. Please do not commingle or treat that as an alteration or cancellation of my request – I intend to continue to pursue my request.
Thank you for your assistance!
** Sunshine Request (www.sunshinerequest.com) makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive. ”
Status: Completed
Documents:
Activity:
-
February 29, 2024 3:00 pm
1 month ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Eulis Willis <[email protected]>
cc: Michelyn Alston <[email protected]>, “[email protected]” <[email protected]>, Claudia Bray <[email protected]>, Jerry Merrick <[email protected]>, Greg Willett <[email protected]>, “Attorney Norwood Blanchard ([email protected])” <[email protected]>
date: Feb 29, 2024, 3:00 PM
subject: Re: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Good afternoon Mayor, Michelyn, Claudia, (all others CCed),
Thank you for clarifying your concerns. I have discussed your email with our Team.
We apologize for saying that the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department [NVFD] and the Town of Navassa “Denied” our December 2023 public records request. We agree that our language was incorrect, and now that you’ve explained that the “NVFD is a separate entity from the Town of Navassa with its own Charter and by-laws”, we understand the distinction.
To ensure visitors on our website are clear about this distinction, we have added Editor’s Notes to both the December 2023 request, as well as the February 2024 request above – on our website, explaining the situation:
You can also see a screenshot of the Editor’s Note, attached to this email.
We have clarified that the Town of Navassa, NC staff were very helpful throughout our efforts to try to get the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department [NVFD] to respond to our December 2023 public records request.
Our Team used various contact information for the NVFD, which was provided to us by the Town of Navassa staff, but we were unable to get in touch with anyone at the NVFD. Our Team did not receive any response from the NVFD at any point from December 06, 2023 through February 07, 2024, and for that reason we had to mark the request as having been “Denied” by the NVFD.
We have clarified and corrected our previous statements in regard to the reason for the “Denial” of our December request. The Denial was related specifically to the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department’s non-response, and is not the fault of the Town of Navassa, NC (which we now understand is a separate entity).
Please consider our February 28, 2024 records request submitted above to be Completed and Closed. On the advice of Michelyn and Chief Williams, any future requests we submit related to the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department’s call data or statistics will be sent to the Brunswick County Dispatch [BCD].
I will follow up with BCD directly for further assistance on this particular topic.
Thank you for your help!
~ The Sunshine Request Team
**Editor’s Note: Please see the referenced screenshot (“Screenshot 2024-02-29 at 2.29.01 PM.png”) at top left in our Documents section.
Status: Completed -
February 29, 2024 2:25 pm
1 month ago
Editor’s Note 02/29/24: We would like to clarify that the Town of Navassa, NC staff were very helpful throughout our efforts to try to get the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department [NVFD] to respond to our December 2023 public records request.
Our Team used various contact information for the NVFD, which was provided to us by the Town of Navassa Staff, but we were unable to get in touch with anyone at the NVFD. Our Team did not receive any response from the NVFD at any point from December 06, 2023 through February 07, 2024, and for that reason we had to mark the request as having been “Denied” by the NVFD.
We would like to clarify and correct our previous statements in regard to the reason for the “Denial” of our December request. The Denial was related specifically to the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department’s non-response, and is not the fault of the Town of Navassa, NC (which we now understand is a separate entity).
On the advice of the Town of Navassa and Chief Williams, any future requests we submit related to the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department’s call data or statistics will be sent to the Brunswick County Dispatch.
Status: Clarification Provided -
February 29, 2024 11:07 am
1 month ago
from: Eulis Willis <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>, Michelyn Alston <[email protected]>
cc: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>, Claudia Bray <[email protected]>, Jerry Merrick <[email protected]>, Greg Willett <[email protected]>, “Attorney Norwood Blanchard ([email protected])” <[email protected]>
date: Feb 29, 2024, 11:07 AM
subject: RE: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.My message to you was not a threat of legal action from the Town of Navassa , it was an explanation of what could be the RESULT from your action, I will include your action statement in this correspondence highlighted in Red:
“The Courts have found that an unjustified 1-month delay in the production of public records is tantamount to a denial. After much back-and-forth about my request with the Town of Navassa, and having received no response, I ultimately marked my request as having been “Denied” by your organization on February 07, 2024”.
Obviously, your action was aimed at all parties you had been corresponding with and that included the Town of Navassa….The Town has been explaining to you that we have NO Jurisdiction with the NVFD…..Your response that included me as mayor of the Town of Navassa as quoted in the highlighted quote from you, stated that We (which includes the Town of Navassa) denied your request…..That is not the case and we explained to you that we (Town of Navassa) does not have access or jurisdiction over the information you requested….Your action indicates we are “Guilty by Association”.
Please correct that statement, and assure everyone you have copied with your assumption, is aware of the mistake.
Mayor Eulis Willis
Navassa
Status: Response Received from Government -
February 28, 2024 2:11 pm
1 month ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Michelyn Alston <[email protected]>
cc: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>, Claudia Bray <[email protected]>, Eulis Willis <[email protected]>, Jerry Merrick <[email protected]>, Greg Willett <[email protected]>
date: Feb 28, 2024, 2:11 PM
subject: Re: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Good afternoon Mayor Willis,
I did not see your last message, as I was in the middle of replying to Michelyn.
I’m unsure how to interpret your message. I don’t see what legal actions are necessary in this case, and I have not “punished” anyone. I merely had to note that a request was “Denied” by the NVFD when it was never addressed, and I had made all reasonable attempts to follow up.
I submitted a public records request to the Town of Navassa Volunteer Fire Department in December, which was not ever answered.
I will consider your response with my Team, however, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Status: Clarification Provided -
February 28, 2024 2:04 pm
1 month ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Michelyn Alston <[email protected]>
cc: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>, Claudia Bray <[email protected]>, Eulis Willis <[email protected]>, Jerry Merrick <[email protected]>, Greg Willett <[email protected]>
date: Feb 28, 2024, 2:04 PM
subject: Re: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Hi Michelyn,
Thank you for your reply.
I understand if your office does not have access to the records requested.
However, as we’ve discussed before — there really has got to be an efficient way for the public to get in touch with the Town of Navassa Volunteer Fire Department in order to make a public records request. And, there has got to be a way to ensure that a response is received. They have an actual webpage on the Town of Navassa’s website: https://townofnavassa.org/index.php/departments/fire-department , and the email address there does not work. They also have not returned my calls / voicemails to this point, or even the notes that you’ve said you also sent them about my request in December.
Can you please provide me with the correct email contacts for all parties to whom I am supposed to submit a public records request related specifically to the Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Department?
I really would not like to have to re-explain this situation to every new party I contact, just to be told that they’re not the approriate entity to fulfill my request.
Thank you for your help.
Status: Clarification Requested -
February 28, 2024 2:03 pm
1 month ago
from: Eulis Willis <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>,
“[email protected]” <[email protected]>
cc: Michelyn Alston <[email protected]>, Claudia Bray <[email protected]>, Jerry Merrick <[email protected]>, “Attorney Norwood Blanchard ([email protected])” <[email protected]>
date: Feb 28, 2024, 2:03 PM
subject: RE: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Please realize that the NVFD is a separate entity from the Town of Navassa with its own Charter and by-laws. We share the same community. Punishment to the Town of Navassa because of a delinquency by another agency is not acceptable nor legal I hope you will rectify your actions and issue an apology to the offended party….legal action CAN be pursued by the offended party.
Mayor Eulis A Willis
Status: Response Received from Government -
February 28, 2024 1:54 pm
1 month ago
from: Michelyn Alston <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>, “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
cc: Claudia Bray <[email protected]>, Eulis Willis <[email protected]>, Jerry Merrick <[email protected]>
date: Feb 28, 2024, 1:54 PM
subject: RE: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Afternoon,
I was informed by Chief Williams that Navassa Fire Department is a separate entity from Town of Navassa and any public request regarding data or statistics could be obtained by you asking Brunswick County Dispatch. I can not provide information that is not accessible to this office.
Michelyn Alston, CMC, NCCMC
Town Clerk/Deputy Finance Officer
334 Main Street
Navassa, NC 28451
Tel: (910) 371-2432 ext 102
Status: Clarification Provided -
February 28, 2024 1:53 pm
1 month ago
from: Greg Willett <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
date: Feb 28, 2024, 1:53 PM
subject: RE: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.It appears that you have emailed people who work for the town of Navassa which is the correct route. Chief Williams also does not monitor this email account, his admin assistant and a few other WPD employees do.
E-mail correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
Status: Clarification Provided -
February 28, 2024 1:48 pm
1 month ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: Greg Willett <[email protected]>
cc: [email protected]
date: Feb 28, 2024, 1:48 PM
subject: Re: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Hi Greg (and Chief Williams’s Office CCed),
Thank you for your reply.
My records request is not related to the Town of Wilmington, NC. It is related to the Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Department [NVFD].
Unfortunately — there is no currently available contact info. (that works) for the NVFD listed anywhere online, and it hasn’t been possible to get a response from anyone there since December 06. The only available contact info online for the NVFD — is an email address that does not work, and the contact info for Donny Williams (who happens to be the Wilmington Police Chief as well as the Town of Navassa Volunteer Fire Department Chief).
That is why I have contacted Mr. Williams using the Wilmington address. It is the only address related to anyone at NVFD that can be accessed.
The appropriate Town Clerks etc. for the Town of Navassa have also been CCed on that email.
Thank you.
~ The Sunshine Request Team
Status: Clarification Provided -
February 28, 2024 1:43 pm
1 month ago
from: Greg Willett <[email protected]>
to: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
date: Feb 28, 2024, 1:43 PM
subject: RE: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Public records requests pertaining to the City of Wilmington business are to
be filed with the city clerk’s office.E-mail correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
Status: Response Received from Government -
February 28, 2024 1:33 pm
1 month ago
from: Sunshine Request <[email protected]>
to: [email protected]
cc: Michelyn Alston <[email protected]>, Claudia Bray <[email protected]>, Eulis Willis <[email protected]>, [email protected]
date: Feb 28, 2024, 1:33 PM
subject: Public records request. (February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.Good afternoon Chief Williams, (Navassa Mayor, Michelyn, Claudia CCed), Records Officer or Custodian(s) of these Records,
I submitted a public records request to the Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Department and Town of Navassa on December 06, 2023 via email. There was no resolution to my request, since I never received any response from the NVFD email address ([email protected], which does not work), no one returned my voicemails to the NVFD. And, I also contacted Minnie Brown by phone – unfortunately, there is no way to leave Minnie a voicemail, and her voice mailbox was full.
The Courts have found that an unjustified 1 month delay in the production of public records is tantamount to a denial. After much back-and-forth about my request with the Town of Navassa, and having received no response, I ultimately marked my request as having been “Denied” by your organization on February 07, 2024.
Recently, I was made aware that Donny Williams is the Fire Chief for the Town of Navassa Volunteer Fire Department, as well as Police Chief for Wilmington, NC. Having finally found an email contact for Mr. Williams ([email protected]) that works, I hope that you are now able to proceed with the fulfillment of the following public records request:
SUBJECT:
(February 2024) Request for Town of Navassa, NC Volunteer Fire Dept: Time, date, general description of all calls from 01/01/2023 – present day.MESSAGE:
“ Please reply promptly to the following public records request, which I’m making in accordance with NC Public Records Law. https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_132.html** I am simply requesting an electronic copy of an electronic record, if one exists. I’m NOT asking for the opportunity to come in person to “inspect”, nor to obtain a printed copy of, this electronic record. I’m requesting explicitly that any responsive info be provided to me via the electronic medium / electronic format (in which the copy of this record should already exist and is available to you). If you are unable to fulfill any or all parts of this request, please specifically cite where a reason for denial is justified under NC Public Records Law. **
If such a record exists –
Please provide the time, date, and brief description of the reason (for example: assist other agency, fire, assist EMS, wreck, etc.) for all calls to the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department. During the specific time period of 01/01/2023 through the present day [on the date that the query is performed].To be clear, I’m only requesting to know the time / date / general description of a call. Please DO NOT include any personally identifying information about callers, if that type of data exists (for example: their name, phone #, an address, or case #, etc). That data is not relevant to my request, and Sunshine Request will not publish this type of info.
————————————Please note that by submitting this request, I’m NOT agreeing to pay any potential fees or associated costs related to my request. If it isn’t possible to process the request without incurring fees, then please let me know the itemized potential cost and explanations for those charges upfront, and DO NOT proceed until I respond.
By Law I’m not required to provide a name or address to associate with a public records request, but in order to move things along I’d like to clarify that this request is being made by:
Sunshine Request
PO Box 17391
Asheville, NC 28816The request has been sent solely by me and my email address [email protected] . If anyone other than that email address contacts you to pursue a similar request, it did not come from me. Please do not commingle or treat that as an alteration or cancellation of my request – I intend to continue to pursue my request.
Thank you for your assistance!
** Sunshine Request (www.sunshinerequest.com) makes no claim as to the veracity of any statements or information contained in any of the requests, or public records, we receive. ”
Status: Sent to Government -
February 28, 2024 1:30 pm
1 month ago
Submitted to Sunshine Request
Status: Pending