A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Creal Springs regarding building permits on October 30, 2024. The request was made by us at Carbondale Reporter, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In our pursuit of transparency and accountability, we requested records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. We specifically asked for a list of all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, till the date of the request. The details sought included the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester's name, address, and contractor's name.
In addition to this, we also requested a list of all active residential and commercial building permits along with their current status. The same details as mentioned above were requested for these active permits as well.
As a media organization committed to serving the public interest through accurate reporting and analysis, we believe access to such public records is crucial in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
Given our role in disseminating information to the community at large, we have requested a fee waiver as part of our application under the provisions applicable for media professionals.
We await a response from the City of Creal Springs and will keep our readers updated on any developments regarding this matter.
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