[nfbmi-talk] Fw: FOIA Response to Request for Information on BSBP Student Assistants

Thu Nov 7 02:45:46 UTC 2013

And the beat goes on
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Haynes, Carla (LARA) 
To: Joe Sontag 
Cc: Rodgers, Edward (LARA) ; Luzenski, Sue (LARA) ; Pemble, Mike (LARA) ; Belknap, Katie (LARA) ; Duell, Elsie (LARA) 
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2013 13:26
Subject: FOIA Response to Request for Information on BSBP Student Assistants

November 6, 2013

Mr. Joe Sontag

E-mail: suncat0 at gmail.com

1204 Morris Ave.

Lansing Michigan 48917

Re:  FOIA Response to Request for Information on BSBP Student Assistants

Dear Mr. Sontag:

This email is in response to your October 17, 2013, email request for information, received by this office on October 18, 2013, of which an extension was taken to November 7, 2013.  Please be advised that the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons 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 as:

"I am writing you for a complete list of the names of all Student Assistants employed by the Bureau at any time during fiscal year 2012-13, their job descriptions, hourly pay and total compensation received.

A response via e-mail reply with the information attached, together with any additional information you can provide regarding sources of this kind of data that I can access and utilize independently will be appreciated."

Your request is granted as to existing, nonexempt documents pertaining to your request.  We estimate that the time to process this request is 5 hours.  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,

FOIA Response - J. Sontag

November 6, 2013

Page 2 of 2

examination, review, and the deletion and separation of exempt from nonexempt information.

Please note that nothing within the federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA ), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA), as amended, or the state's FOIA (MCL 15.231 et seq.) requires a public body to process FOIA requests free of charge.  Further, while the ADA and Section 504 of the RA may mandate that, upon request, material be produced in an accessible format without charge, neither the ADA or Section 504 of the RA preclude a public body from charging costs under the state's FOIA. Thusly, please note that no labor fee charges have been, or will be, assessed to convert existing, nonexempt public records responsive to your requests into an accessible format to forward to you.

In order to complete the processing of your request, and based on the hourly wages and benefits of the lowest paid Department employee capable of performing the necessary tasks to process your request, we are requesting a deposit of $82.65 in order to begin the processing of this request.  An invoice is attached that outlines the costs.

Once payment is received for the deposit, we will start the processing of your request.  Once the process is complete, we will request payment for the additional amount of the actual cost of the request.  When we receive this payment, we will send the information either to you via email or to you in the U.S. Mail on a USB flash drive (depending on the amount of material responsive to your request).

Sincerely,

Carla Miller Haynes, FOIA Coordinator

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

Attachments - 2:  Invoice & Email Request for Information

cc:                                           Edward F. Rodgers II, Sue Luzenski

                                                Mike Pemble, Katie Belknap, Elsie Duell

DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

BUREAU OF SERVICES FOR BLIND PERSONS

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT INVOICE

NAME AND ADDRESS OF REQUESTER:

Mr. Joe Sontag

E-mail: suncat0 at gmail.com

1204 Morris Ave.

Lansing Michigan 48917

REQUEST RECEIVED:  October 18, 2013

TYPE OF REQUEST:  Email

REQUEST PARTIALLY DENIED:  To be determined

EXEMPT INFORMATION WITHHELD/REDACTED:  To be determined

EXTENDED RESPONSE NOTICE ISSUED:  Yes to 11-7-13

REQUESTED INFORMATION WILL BE:  Emailed/Invoiced For 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 am writing you for a complete list of the names of all Student Assistants employed by the Bureau at any time during fiscal year 2012-13, their job descriptions, hourly pay and total compensation received.

A response via e-mail reply with the information attached, together with any additional information you can provide regarding sources of this kind of data that I can access and utilize independently will be appreciated."

INVOICE CALCULATIONS

LABOR 

                                                Locating and Duplicating Cost:  

Number of Hours:  4 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $31.06 = Amount:      $124.24

                                                Examining and Extracting Cost:  

                                                          Number of Hours: 1 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $31.06 = Amount:                                                     $31.06

TOTAL LABOR:                     $155.30

POSTAGE (estimate):           $3.00

DUPLICATING:  Number of Pages (0) times Copying Rate of $0

OTHER (overtime, audio tapes, discs, photos, security, etc.):  $7.00 (for USB Drive)

SUBTOTAL:  $165.30

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

INVOICE TOTAL:                  $165.30

DEPOSIT*                              $82.65

BALANCE TO BE PAID*:     $82.65

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.

From: Joe Sontag [mailto:suncat0 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 5:14 PM
To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)
Cc: Pemble, Mike (LARA)
Subject: Request for Information on Student Assistants at BSBP

October 17, 2013

Joseph Sontag

1204 Morris Ave.

Lansing Michigan 48917

Edward F. Rodgers, Director

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

Dear Ed:

I am writing you for a complete list of the names of all Student Assistants employed by the Bureau at any time during fiscal year 2012-13, their job descriptions, hourly 

pay and total compensation received.

A response via e-mail reply with the information attached, together with any additional information you can provide regarding sources of this kind of data that I can access

and utilize independently will be appreciated.

Cordially,

Joe Sontag

Carla Miller Haynes

LARA Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)

201 N. Washington Square, 2nd Floor

P.O. Box 30652

Lansing, MI  48909

Telephone:  517-373-2063 or Toll-Free 1-800-292-4200

Fax:  517-335-5140

www.michigan.gov/bsbp

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