[nfbmi-talk] Fw: FOIA Response to Request for Information onExpansion & Renovation Costs of the BEP Location in the StateCapitol

Fri Nov 8 00:42:40 UTC 2013

Joe, I hope you sent the response below to the state auditors office.  I am
sure the state auditor will be interested in knowing the BEP has no idea
what they have expended on that project, and it will take at least four
hours to perhaps find how much was spent.  Obviously, the BEP audit means
nothing to BS4BP and BEP management!  Perhaps essenberger can research it,
since Josh Hoskins is back, and Essenberger has nothing to do between
on-the-job naps!

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmi-talk [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of joe
harcz Comcast
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 4:07 PM
To: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: FOIA Response to Request for Information
onExpansion & Renovation Costs of the BEP Location in the StateCapitol

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Haynes, Carla (LARA) 
To: joe harcz Comcast 
Cc: Rodgers, Edward (LARA) ; Luzenski, Sue (LARA) ; Pemble, Mike (LARA) ;
Belknap, Katie (LARA) ; Duell, Elsie (LARA) ; Zanger, Connie (LARA) ;
Essenberg, Rob (LARA) ; Hull, James (LARA) 
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 3:56 PM
Subject: FOIA Response to Request for Information on Expansion & Renovation
Costs of the BEP Location in the State Capitol

November 7, 2013

Mr. Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

Re:  FOIA Response to Request for Information on Expansion & Renovation of
the Business Enterprise Program in the State Capitol

Dear Mr. Harcz, Jr.:

This email is in response to your October 22, 2013, email request for
information received by this office on October 23, 2013, of which an
extension was taken to November 12, 2013.  Please be advised that the Bureau
of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) 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 simply wish to know today how much BSBP is spending for the expansion and
renovation of the Business Enterprise location in the Michigan State
Capitol."

Your request is granted as to existing, nonexempt documents pertaining to
your request.  We estimate that the time to process this request is 4 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,
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

FOIA Response - P.J. Harcz, Jr.

November 7, 2013

Page 2 of 2

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 $62.12 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 & Request for Information

cc:     Edward F. Rodgers II, Sue Luzenski

          Mike Pemble, Katie Belknap

          Elsie Duell, Constance Zanger

          Rob Essenberg, James Hull

DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

BUREAU OF SERVICES FOR BLIND PERSONS

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT INVOICE

NAME AND ADDRESS OF REQUESTER:

Mr. Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

REQUEST RECEIVED:  October 23, 2013

TYPE OF REQUEST:  Email

REQUEST PARTIALLY DENIED:  No

EXEMPT INFORMATION WITHHELD/REDACTED:  To be determined

EXTENDED RESPONSE NOTICE ISSUED:  Yes to November 12, 2013

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 simply wish to know today how much BSBP is spending for the expansion and
renovation of the Business Enterprise location in the Michigan State
Capitol."

INVOICE CALCULATIONS

LABOR 

          Locating and Duplicating Cost:  

Number of Hours:  3 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $31.06 = Amount:      $93.18

          Examining and Extracting Cost:  

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

TOTAL LABOR:           $124.24

POSTAGE (estimate):           To be determined based on the amount of
information

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

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

SUBTOTAL:  $124.24

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

INVOICE TOTAL:        $124.24

DEPOSIT* $62.12

BALANCE TO BE PAID*:     $62.12

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 harcz Comcast [mailto:joeharcz at comcast.net]  

Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 1:25 PM 

To: Zimmer, Mike (LARA)                     

Cc: Rodgers, Edward (LARA); BSBPcommissioners; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org;
Christyne.Cavataio at ed.gov 

Subject: simple question capitol bep renovation

October 22 to Rodgers Zimmer Simple Question Capitol

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

joeharcz at comcast.net

810-516-5262

To: Ed Rodgers, Director BSBP

Michael Zimmer, LARA, DSA

Sirs,

Could you all answer a very simple question without making a big FOIA stink
over it?

I simply wish to know today how much BSBP is spending for the expansion and
renovation of the Business Enterprise location in the Michigan State
Capitol.

I would think the stewards of federal Vocational Rehabilitation funds and
their state match should be able to come up with a simple dollar amount for
this project.

All I request is that in a simple e-mail response.

Sincerely,

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

Cc: NFB MI

Cc: RSA

Cc: several

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