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Report for Day #5-7 of On-site VT Public Record Law Review of Burlington Anti-Gun Proposals
Burlington City Hall, 11/13 9AM – 1:30PM; 11/15 1:15PM-3:30PM; 11/20 9:15AM – 11:30AM
Chris Bradley and Evan Hughes went to Burlington City Hall on Wednesday 11/13, Friday 11/15 and Wednesday 11/20. The number of documents produced on Wednesday 11/20 was so pathetic that there was no sense in traveling to Burlington on Friday 11/22 as originally planned.
In terms of numbers the city has produced approximately 2,500 pieces for review. Of those, exactly 2,004 have been emails and of those approximately 586 are non-duplicates. To date, the City has informed the Federation that there are 104 documents that we have been blocked from seeing either through redaction or outright exemption. In some at least one case, the City has redacted only the subject lines (but none of the body).
This means that so far, the City is withholding about 15 percent of the documents it has acknowledged exists. What the City is essentially saying then is that several of the discussions over the development of hoped-for City ordinances are not open to public review, which is highly questionable given that this should all have been a very open process.
Remember, the city was informed of the federation request to view these materials on September 19.
The city refused to allow any viewing of the requested materials until the morning of Tuesday, October
22, the morning after the city council voted to proceed forward with their proposed gun control ordinances.
The City has miserably failed to comply with the time requirements of the Vermont Public Records Law and to date has provided only about 2,500 documents of the approximately 18,000+/- items it reports it has.
The review of the requested materials is providing some very revealing information, which is all the more reason for wanting to see what is the withheld and not yet disclosed. But, would a Mayor and City Council that has no respect for the Vermont Sportsmen's Bill of Rights respect the Vermont Public Records Law?
Obviously not. If you think this wrong, you can let them know you strongly object to their political shenanigans.
Chris Bradley - Secretary
Vermont State Rifle And Pistol Association (VSRPA)
