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Public commenters ask Surry County to clarify FOIA report and produce records
Summary
Two residents urged clearer FOIA reporting and asked for final records of administrative responses to citizen comments; the board and staff noted the request and said the county would follow record procedures.
Two residents used the public-comment period at the July 2 board meeting to press the county on public-records procedures. Alan Bardwell, of the Surry voting district, asked for any public records that show the final outcomes of county administration responses to citizen concerns raised at the June meeting, clarifying he was seeking only final communications or summaries, not drafts or internal notes.
Susan Corbello of the Claremont District said the county’s "FOIA summary report" mixes formal FOIA requests with routine citizen inquiries and creates a misleading impression in the public record. Corbello told the board she had received a response placing her earlier questions in the FOIA report and asked why she had not received promised follow-up; she requested the county retitle the report or otherwise distinguish routine inquiries from formal FOIA requests.
Chairman Pierce and staff acknowledged the comments; the public-comment period closed after the two speakers. No formal action was taken at the meeting; Bardwell was told how to file a written request if he wished to do so and the board retained the matter as a citizen concern for staff follow-up.
