[nfbmi-talk] Fw: Response to FOIA Request of 1-1-12 - Peckham ARRA Expenditures

[joe harcz Comcast]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: Haynes, Carla (LARA) 
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: Response to FOIA Request of 1-1-12 - Peckham ARRA Expenditures 


Dear Carla,

You might send this out to some people working at Peckham I'm certain then that Peckham can find some people with disabilities to do this work for sub-minimum wages.

Sincerely

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Haynes, Carla (LARA) 
  To: joe harcz Comcast (joeharcz at comcast.net) 
  Cc: Cannon, Patrick (LARA) ; Farmer, Mel (LARA) ; Turney, Susan (LARA) ; Luzenski, Sue (LARA) ; Jones, Leamon (LARA) ; Gaston, Diamalyn (LARA) ; White, Elizabeth (LARA) ; Duell, Elsie (LARA) 
  Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 4:39 PM
  Subject: Response to FOIA Request of 1-1-12 - Peckham ARRA Expenditures 


  January 27, 2012

   

  Mr. Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

  E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

  1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

  Mt. Morris, MI 48458

   

  Re:  Payments to Peckham Vocational Industries

   

  Dear Mr. Harcz, Jr.:

   

  This letter is in response to your January 1, 2012, email request for copies of public records, received January 3, 2012, of which a ten day extension was taken to January 25, 2012.  Please be informed that the Department's Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) is processing this request under the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq.

   

  You have requested information as described in your email, a copy of which is attached.

   

  Your request is granted as to existing, nonexempt records in the possession of the Department falling within the scope of your request.

   

  Section 4(1) of the FOIA, MCL 15.234(1), provides that a public body may charge a fee for public record search, including the mailing, costs, the cost of duplication or publication including labor, the cost of search, examination, review, and the deletion and separation of exempt from nonexempt information. The Department has estimated that a minimum of 6 hours of employee time must be drawn away from their respective duties and assignments to search, locate, and retrieve records to determine if they are responsive to your request, and to examine and review the responsive records for possible statutory exemptions from public disclosure. For the above reasons, the Department, pursuant to MCL15.234, Section 4(3) of the FOIA, has determined that failure to charge a fee in this particular instance will result in unreasonably high costs to the Department. The estimated costs to process this request, based on the hourly wages (including fringe benefits) of the lowest paid Department employee capable of performing the necessary tasks to comply with the request is $130.60.

   

  Therefore, in order to complete the processing of your request, based on the hourly wages of the lowest paid Department employees capable of performing the necessary tasks to process the request, under MCL 15.234, Section 4(2) of the state's FOIA, the Department requires a good faith deposit of $65.30, which is one-half of the total estimated $130.60, including a $20.00 credit per MCL 15.234, Section 4(1) of the FOIA. See the attached Invoice Calculations illustrating estimated costs and payment instructions

   

  The above estimate is based on an estimated twenty-three (23) payments MCB made to Peckham Vocational Industries under Award Number H390A090031.  These payments made to Peckham Vocational Industries by MCB were coded as ARRA monies.  The estimated cost to research, examine and redact exempt information of the approximately 23 invoices along with the authorizations is also detailed in the attached invoice. 

   

  After receipt of the good faith deposit and upon completing the process of your request, the Department will notify you in writing of any balance due and payable (or owed you) before copies of the requested records are forwarded to you; and will explain any statutory basis for the exemption of any records in or in part, and your remedial rights.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Carla Miller Haynes, FOIA Coordinator

  Michigan Commission for the Blind

   

   

  Attachments: 

  1.      Email of 1/1/2012

  2.      FOIA Invoice

   

  cc:     Patrick Cannon

            Mel Farmer

            Susan Turney

            Elsie Duell

            Leamon Jones

            Elizabeth White

  -
  From: joe harcz Comcast [mailto:joeharcz at comcast.net]  

  Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 2:06 PM 

  To: Cannon, Patrick (LARA) 

  Cc: Larry Posont MCB Comm.; lydia Schuck MCB Comm.; John Scott MCB Comm.; Craig 

  McManus RSA; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org; Elmer Cerano MPAS 

  Subject: more arra funding info please

   

  January 1 2012 Request for Peckham Information

   

  Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

  1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

  Mt. Morris, MI 48458

  joeharcz at comcast.net

  joeharcz at comcast.net

   

  Patrick D. Cannon

  Director, Michigan Commission for the Blind 

  (Via E-mail)

   

  Dear Mr. Cannon,

   

  I'm writing you today to get just a little more detail about this expenditure:

   

   

  "PECKHAM VOCATIONAL INDUSTRIES - Award Number H390A090031 - 

  PECKHAM VOCATIONAL INDUSTRIES

   

  Table with 2 columns and 7 rows

  Award Number

  H390A090031

  Sub-Award Number

  N/A

  Vendor DUNS Number

  Not reported

  Vendor HQ Zip Code + 4

  489062102

   

  Could you simply give me what this was for and when this expenditure was made?

   

  Or can't you supply that type of information?

   

  Happy New Year.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

   

  Cc: MCB Commissioners

  Cc: NFB MI

  Cc: RSA

  Cc: Elmer Cerano, NISH/ M PAS

   

  Vendor Name

  PECKHAM VOCATIONAL INDUSTRIES

  Product and Service Description

  SERVICES FOR MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND CLIENTS

  Payment Amount

  $31,843"

   

   

   


   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   



  DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

  MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND

  FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT INVOICE

   

   

  NAME AND ADDRESS OF REQUESTER:

  Mr. Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

  E-mail:  joeharcz at comcast.com

  1365 E. Mt. Morris Road

  Mt. Morris, MI  48458

   

  REQUEST RECEIVED:  January 3, 2012

  TYPE OF REQUEST:  Email

  REQUEST PARTIALLY DENIED:  No

  EXEMPT INFORMATION WITHHELD/REDACTED:  To be determined

  EXTENDED RESPONSE NOTICE ISSUED:  Yes

  REQUESTED INFORMATION WILL BE:  Emailed/Invoiced For Partial Payment

  ACCOUNT CODE:  Index:   36200        PCA: 11343

   

  DLARA CONTACT:  Melvin Farmer, Central FOIA Coordinator

  (517) 373-0194

  Ottawa Building, 4th Floor, 611 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI  48909

  The FOIA provides that the department may charge a fee to comply with requests for public records.  The processing fee is composed of hourly wages and benefit costs of the lowest paid employee(s) capable of processing the request; the duplication of records at assessed costs per page; mailing costs; and other related special costs.  Prior to searching and copying requested records, the department may request full payment or 50% of the estimated costs exceeding $50.00 with the balance required before mailing the records.  Assessed costs are related to your request for:

   

  "I'm writing you today to get just a little more detail about this expenditure: "PECKHAM VOCATIONAL INDUSTRIES - Award Number H390A090031 - PECKHAM VOCATIONAL INDUSTRIES

  Table with 2 columns and 7 rows

  Award Number H390A090031

  Sub-Award Number N/A

  Vendor DUNS Number

  Not reported

  Vendor HQ Zip Code + 4 - 489062102

   

  Could you simply give me what this was for and when this expenditure was made?

  Vendor Name

  PECKHAM VOCATIONAL INDUSTRIES

  Product and Service Description

  SERVICES FOR MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND CLIENTS

  Payment Amount

  $31,843"

   

   



  INVOICE CALCULATIONS

   

  LABOR 

            Locating and Duplicating Cost:  

                     Number of Hours: 4 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $25.10 = Amount:       $100.40

            Examining and Extracting Cost:  

                     Number of Hours: 2 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $25.10 = Amount:       $50.20

  TOTAL LABOR:         $150.60

  POSTAGE (estimate):          $0

  DUPLICATING:  Number of Pages times Copying Rate of $.25       $0

  OTHER (overtime, audio tapes, discs, photos, security, etc.):  $0

  SUBTOTAL:      $

  Less waived indigency fee under FOIA Act MCL 15.234 Section 4(1)       ($20.00)

  INVOICE TOTAL:       $130.60

   

  DEPOSIT* $65.30

   

  BALANCE TO BE PAID:     $65.30

   

   

  Make check or money order payable to:     STATE OF MICHIGAN

  Remit to:            Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

  Office Services Mailroom

  7150 Harris Drive, PO Box 30015

  Lansing, MI  48909

   

  RETURN ORIGINAL COPY OF THIS INVOICE WITH YOUR PAYMENT

   

  *Please note that if a deposit is requested, the indicated amount is an estimate of the cost of complying with your request.  The actual cost may vary somewhat from this amount.

   

   

   

  Carla Miller Haynes

  DLARA Michigan Commission for the Blind

  201 N. Washington Sq., 2nd Floor

  P.O. Box 30652

  Lansing, MI  48909

  Phone:  517/373-2063

  FAX: 517/335-5140

   

  www.michigan.gov/mcb