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Resident says FOIA was denied for block-camera contract; council directs appeal to clerk
Summary
A Taylor resident told the council a FOIA request about the city's block-camera system and any contract with a third-party operator was denied; staff directed the resident to appeal through the clerk's office for further review.
A resident addressed the Taylor City Council during open business to ask about the city’s block-camera system and said their Freedom of Information Act request had been denied on the grounds that no contract exists between the city and the third-party operator.
The resident said more than 40 cameras are deployed across the city, including on daily commute routes, and estimated the system cost more than $100,000. They told council staff they had asked to see the contract and were told there was none and that they needed to petition the mayor; the resident said they could provide an appeal. “I FOIA’d it, and the FOIA was denied on the grounds that it doesn’t exist,” the resident said.
Council staff directed the resident to the clerk’s office for appeals and records requests and noted that FOIA appeals should follow established procedures. The council did not provide additional detail about contracts or system procurement during the meeting; the clerk is the point of contact for further records requests or appeals.
The comment raised transparency questions the council did not resolve at the meeting; the clerk and staff may provide further records or guidance on appeal steps outside the meeting record.
