When: Thursday night, November 21, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Nathan Hale Ray Middle School Cafeteria
Presenter: Thomas Hennick, Public Education Officer, Freedom of Information Commission
Hosted by: East Haddam Town Clerk’s Office
Please RSVP to:
ddenette@easthaddam.org
Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guarantees all citizens the right to have access to public meetings and public documents.
The FOI Commission conducts workshops around the state helping citizens and officials understand their rights and their obligations under the FOI Act. The workshop will feature a review of the basics.
Some of the topics that will be explored include:
1) The definitions of public records and meetings.
2) How to manage requests for public records.
3) What are the rules governing executive sessions?
4) Does the public have access to all meetings and documents?
5) Are e-mails and other electronic documents available to the public?
6) Does the public have a right to speak at public meetings?
7) Can an agency talk about business not listed on its meeting agenda?
8) Are investigative records subject to disclosure?
9) Can FOI requests be rejected because they are burdensome?
10) What is the process for filing a complaint with the FOIC?
The workshop will be conducted by Tom Hennick, who is the Public Education Officer at the Freedom of Information Commission. In that role, he travels around the state, conducting FOI seminars and workshops, educating members of the public as well as public officials about their rights and duties under the Act.
*Light refreshments will be served at the meeting
