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Residents urge transparency after FOIA dispute; commission says Community Oversight Board ready
Summary
Residents at the May 6 Battle Creek City Commission meeting urged an investigation into FOIA handling by a police officer and sought clarity on the status of the city’s Community Oversight Board.
Several members of the public used the May 6 meeting’s general-comment period to press the commission on transparency, FOIA practices and the status of the Community Oversight Board.
Autumn Smith told the commission a recent FOIA request uncovered communications showing an officer — Joel Case — denied the existence of a document that later proved to exist. Smith said that, in her view, the officer prioritized identifying who requested the record over fulfilling the request and urged the commission to investigate. “This is not simple oversight. This is a failure to uphold the basic duty of honesty that the public is owed,” Smith said, and she asked the commission to ensure FOIA processes remain impartial and consistent.
Joe Harris asked the commission about the status of the Community Oversight Board established earlier. He said he had not seen evidence of training or bylaws and urged the city to activate the board. In response, Mayor Behnke said the Community Oversight Board “has been very active behind the scenes,” that members completed an extensive amount of training (including the Citizens Police Academy) and that the board had adopted its bylaws and is “ready to perform their duties.”
Other public commenters raised related concerns about police and fire department budgeting and the use of year-end surpluses. Joe Harris suggested departments be allowed to retain year-end budget surpluses in separate funds for future building and equipment needs rather than reverting them to the general fund; the commission did not take action on that suggestion at the May 6 meeting.
Why it matters: public trust in records processes and in civilian oversight of police is a recurring issue in municipal governance. The May 6 meeting recorded both a citizen request for an inquiry into FOIA handling and the mayor’s statement that the Community Oversight Board has completed training and adopted bylaws.
