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FOIA appeal over Sawyer Regional fuel contract prompts county to offer public hearing
Summary
Eric Sibley told the county board that Marquette County's copy of the Sawyer Regional fuel contract was improperly redacted and that other Michigan airports released unredacted agreements; the board accepted his appeal and offered him a choice of a hearing or a written decision and agreed to collect comparable contracts for review.
Eric Sibley told the Marquette County Board of Commissioners that portions of the county's fuel‑services agreement for Sawyer Regional were redacted and that the county appeared to have accepted a private vendor's claims of confidentiality rather than independently citing statutory exemptions under Michigan's FOIA law. Sibley said he had obtained unredacted fuel agreements from Pellston Regional Airport and Alpena County by FOIA and asked why Marquette's version differed.
"FOIA was created to ensure transparency in government contracts and public spending," Sibley said. "The taxpayers own Sawyer Regional. The taxpayers fund Sawyer Regional, and the taxpayers have a right to review agreements entered on their behalf." He requested the board require release of withheld portions of the agreement or otherwise explain the statutory basis for the redactions.
County legal counsel acknowledged receipt of Sibley's appeal and submitted a confidential memorandum to the board. After taking the appeal as received and moving into closed session on a related personnel/legal matter, counsel and the board returned and offered Sibley the option of a scheduled public hearing or a written, summarily decided opinion; counsel noted the board has 10 business days to issue a written decision with a possible extension for unusual circumstances. The board also asked Sibley to provide the comparable unredacted agreements he had obtained so staff and counsel could review them in advance of any hearing.
The board made no immediate ruling on the FOIA appeal at the June 2 meeting; if Sibley opts for a hearing, the county will publish a notice and set a date so the appellant may present testimony and evidence.
