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.
Editor’s Note 01/05/20: Over the past year we received numerous requests for similar information (as the requests above). You can track the results of those requests here:
Related to the new requests (above) — We received two requests around the same time, for similar information. In order to simplify our process, and to avoid duplicating requests, we have combined the two new submissions and have merged them into one, three part request (see below).
Additionally – The original submissions have been revised for some clarity. As they were originally written, it is unclear what specific info the sender hopes to receive. The request we send to Jackson County, NC Gov will read as follows:
“Hello Jackson County, NC Government (County Commissioners and County Manager),
I’d like to make a three part, public records request for the following information:
[Part 1 of 3]
1. I believe that alterations have begun on the Confederate statue near the JC library, and I’d like to make a public records request for the costs (labor and materials) spent during the specific time period 12/07/20 – 12/19/20.
I have been told in the past that Jackson County “does not have timesheets, labor allocation etc. by job code or project.” However, I do not feel that was a satisfactory answer – I feel that the County should be able to incorporate cost codes, project codes, etc, or some specific information so that taxpayers know how their tax dollars are allocated. Such records should definitely exist, and should be public, in my opinion.
If it is not possible to fulfill the request above, please clearly cite any specific reasoning for the denial.
[Editor’s Note to Sender – We acknowledge that under NC Public Records law the County is not required to “…creat[e] or compil[e] a record that does not exist. If a public agency, as a service to the requester, voluntarily elects to create or compile a record, it may” … and they are not required to “….put into electronic medium a record that is not kept in electronic medium.”]
————–[Part 2 of 3]
2. I believe a quote was recently published in a Blue Ridge Public Radio Piece related to the Confederate statue in Sylva, NC which said that “…County Commissioner Gayle Woody says that the commissioners wanted to wait until after the November election…” and that they“…decided to wait until January to discuss the wording and all, so that it would reflect the slate of commissioners that we have now…”
I’d like to request that you please provide the agenda, meeting minutes and any vote results from when this decision was made, during the specific time period of 10/01/20 – 12/20/20.
————–[Part 3 of 3]
3. Additionally, I’d like to request that you please provide all communications (email, text, social media) sent to and from County Commissioners, the County Manager and County Attorney related to the Confederate statue and the decision that is indicated to have been made in #2 (above). Please provide the responsive records during the specific time period of 10/01/20 -12/20/20.
Thank you for your assistance!”
Additionally – The sender should please note:
Sunshine Request will not fulfill the following types of requests:
☀️ Requests that are incomplete, non-specific, or vague.
☀️ Requests that include profanity, personal statements, opinions, possibly defamatory statements, or other unnecessary info that is not relevant to making a public records request.
☀️ Requests that are only informational questions [rather than a specific request for public records], and requests that are not clearly addressed to government entities.
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